


A Different Star

by LadyKnightSkye



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cuz i can, F/M, Grey Jedi, Humor, Troll-matchmaker Anakin, more tags as needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-06-01 22:22:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6538852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightSkye/pseuds/LadyKnightSkye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the search for Luke Skywalker heats up, Rey is pulled into the search by two mysterious men who land not far from her home in the sands of Jakku. Meeting wily Resistance pilot Poe, fidgety former Stormtrooper Finn, ultimate grandaddy troll Anakin, and surly Ben, she will be taken on the adventure of a lifetime, and find her own destiny among the stars.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Little Knight

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first foray into Stars Wars fic. I've been reading a lot of Reylo, but the idea hit me: what if not only does Ben not fall to Snoke, but part of the reason he doesn't is because Anakin is still around? And this is where we find ourselves! Since I am very much the newbie, I apologize in advance for any world-building mishaps. Please enjoy!

He could hear them fighting again. Their voices were hard and loud as they sniped back at each other about him. He knew it was all about him. Ever since he’d shown how powerful he was in the Force, that’s all they’d fought about. Daddy didn’t want him to become a Jedi, and Mommy didn’t want him to grow up without knowing how to use his power. Little Ben Solo just wanted the fighting to stop. 

Finally, unable to stand it a moment longer, the little boy crept from his bed and edged around his parents arguing in the living area. Out into the main hall of the new Jedi temple he silently glided. He glanced to his left, and quickly moved down that way, towards the other two occupied apartments. He passed the first, unwilling to wake his uncle who had already spent a hard day with the new little younglings, and Ben didn’t feel as comfortable with his uncle as he did the last member of his family.

The last door came up, and before he could knock, it opened to reveal a giant. The man was seven feet tall, his body beneath his dark robes a mishmash of flesh and cybernetics. Both hands were metal, as were both feet. His mouth and nose were covered with a mask, but his eyes were crinkled into a smile. “Come in,” his basso rumble said. 

Little Ben felt tears come to his eyes as he trotted into his grandfather’s apartment. Grandfather Skywalker sat down, his bulk moving gracefully where it had once not done so. Ben had heard Mommy say that it was a wonder Grandfather had not died after years of being encased in Emperor Palpatine’s torture suit. Grandfather Skywalker’s newer life support system let him move with much more freedom. The child kept that in mind as he carefully clambered up beside his grandfather. 

A comforting metal hand ruffled Ben’s dark curls, and the boy instantly relaxed. “They’re fighting again,” the boy murmured. 

“I gathered,” his grandfather stated in his deep voice. For a moment there was only the sound of his grandfather’s breathing. “Your father is conflicted. Even when he witnessed it with his own eyes, Han Solo is loath to admit that there is something beyond what he can see and feel. It is not an indictment of you, my little knight.”

“But why does he and Mommy have to fight?!” the boy cried, tears filling his eyes. 

Gentle blue eyes regarded the boy. “Because that’s all your mother and father know how to do. They are a warrior and a smuggler. Danger. Violence. That’s all they know. Theirs is a tempestuous love. For some, that is what their heart wants.”  
“Were you and Grandmother Padme like that?”

Those blue eyes turned far away. “No. Not always. Padme was strong, but she and I didn’t need to spar as your mother and father do.”

Silence reigned again before the boy spoke again, “I don’t want Uncle Luke to teach me.”

Grandfather Skywalker blinked. “Oh really? Why?”

“I want you to teach me,” Ben said earnestly, “Please? I don’t feel as comfortable with Uncle Luke as I do with you.”

“My dear little one –“

“No!” the boy cried. “You’re the only one who doesn’t look at me like I’m a monster! I want you to teach me!” His tears overflowed, and Grandfather Skywalker found himself cuddling a crying child almost hysterical with his rage and grief. 

“Shh, my little knight, shh.” He patted the boy’s back. “What do you call me?”

The boy sniffed. “Grandfather Skywalker.”

“What would you like to call me?”

Ben’s brown eyes were huge as he said softly, “Papa Ani.”

The smile on Grandfather Skywalker’s face was big enough for his lips to be seen around the mask. “Then you can call me Papa Ani while I teach you all you need to know about the Force.” He looked up as he met the blue eyes of his son. Luke nodded, understanding that this was for the best. While their relationship was still new and strained by years of pain and horror, in this Luke would trust Anakin Skywalker. 

~~  
Ben tried to meditate, but he couldn’t focus. The other padawans around him were serene little islands, but he knew they were beginning to grow agitated from the hurricane his mind was. 

“ _Your father hates you._ ”

Ben tried to ignore the voice, tried to not listen to the poison it whispered into his ears. He was here to meditate with his uncle’s other trainees, and he didn’t want to be sent away like last time. The others steered clear of him, knowing that something was off. He had tried to make friends, but the others would have little to do with him. 

“ _Your mother fears you_.”

He heard one of the other padawans, a striking Twi’lek girl with purple skin, shift and murmur in disturbed Twi’leki. One of the human boys was obviously getting antsy. Ben was nearly crying as he dug his nails into his hands. The adolescent boy was near his breaking point, tears leaking from his eyes. The others opened their eyes at the strangled sob that popped from his lips. He felt the walls of his mind beginning to bend and break.

“ _Your uncle –_ “

“ _CEASE YOUR LIES._ ”

By the shocked gasps that came from the others, they heard the new voice as well. A voice that Ben knew very well. They all turned, including the crying boy to look at the burly man that rose from his seat behind them. The other padawans rose as well as Ben’s Jedi master strode towards him. Metallica hands encased in brown leather gloves were held out to the child, and he took those comforting hands gladly. “Come,” he rumbled around his signature breathing. “We must speak to your uncle.”

Ben ignored the curious looks of the other padawans as he trotted along after his master. 

That night Ben left the new Jedi Temple forever.

The next night, the Knights of Ren came, and Luke Skywalker was never seen again.


	2. Two Figures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey of Jakku meets two very interesting characters.

“They’re worth . . . One portion.”

Rey tried not to sigh in relief as she gathered her plastic sealed pack of rations. She trotted away quickly, letting the next person in line sidle up to the window to hope that Unkar Plutt would pay them a full meal for their hard work. Rey was already imagining what a nice dinner she would have in her abandoned Imperial walker. As she loaded up, she noted a ship was landing in the distance, and couldn’t stop a swell of hope from burbling up inside. 

Her parents had left her here almost fifteen years ago, and she’d waited and hoped for them to return every day since. She had long ago stopped hoping and wishing on the familiar trading ships that landed with depressing regularity on the planet, off loading precious food in exchange for dusty and dinged up parts scavenged from the old Imperial and Rebel wrecks littered around Jakku. Rey imagined that Jakku wasn’t the only planet out there inhabited by desperate people looting relics of past wars. 

As she watched the ship descend, she realized that it wouldn’t be landing far from her own home. She frowned at this, wondering if the pilot realized that he’d be several miles from town. As she hopped onto her speeder, she kept an eye on the descending craft. She headed towards home, thinking that perhaps she would have the chance to encounter new off world traders. Her optimism led her to accept new stories from far off places in exchange for the eventual let down of her family not being on board. Even though she kept up hope, a part of her never actually expected to see her family step down from the ramp of an off loading ship.

The speeder ate the distance between Niima Outpost and her home as she mused about what she’d do that evening. Her portion was of course first on the to-do list, as she’d not had a full portion in at least a week. Then, she thought about perhaps studying the Battle of Jakku again. She might have to tweak the old console again to keep it running, but she was also getting ready to start scavenging a different ship. The Ravager hadn’t been picked clean just yet, and the one she was currently in was getting a bit dicey to climb around in. As she parked her speeder, she could see the strange ship not far off from her home. Her brow furrowed, and she decided to keep a close eye on them as her optimism turned to caution. 

Rey went about her dinner making as usual, and did not sacrifice her peaceful evening meal out in the shadow of the AT-AT’s foot. She did keep a jaundiced eye on the ship, watching the two black-clad figures that scurried around it. As she watched, curiosity began to override caution. Who were these people, to wear black in the desert and to land so far away from any sort of civilization? She stood, the decision made in her mind to go over there. She ducked back into the walker, putting away her plate and beloved helmet. The girl grabbed her trusted quarterstaff, and then walked back out. The sun was low on the horizon, but Rey knew these dunes well enough to get back to them should darkness fall while she was satisfying her curiosity about this mysterious ship. 

However compassionate Rey may be, she was well aware that not everyone was as nice as she. Her quarterstaff was held at the ready as she approached the ship as she had decided to not sneak over, as had been her first instinct. The two figures in black seemed to spot her, but they didn’t stop what they were doing, which as she got closer seemed to be repairing portions of the ship. When she finally reached them, she lifted a friendly arm. “Hello!” she called in Basic. 

The two figures turned, and Rey felt a flash of fear run through her. Both of them were tall, much taller than she was, and both were broad of shoulder as they faced her. The taller one – by any gods above or below he was huge – wore a full hood over a terrifying, skull-like mask. The other wore no hood, but his mask was intricate where the taller one’s was horrifying. The mask depicted a serene face decorated with various lines and dots of chrome. The feature that really drew Rey’s eyes was the lips – the top one was chrome and the bottom black save for a stripe of chrome right through the middle. 

The shorter man seemed to be frozen in place, but the larger one stepped up and greeted her through the mechanical haze of his breathing. “Hello! We were not expecting anyone out here.” 

Rey gave a small smile. The voice was a deep one, rumbling like thunder over the wind of his harsh breathing. “I’m the only one who does.”

The big man – that voice was undeniably masculine – chuckled. “A desert hermit. There’s one on every desert planet. I believe Tatooine had at least fifty of them.”

“Is that where you’re from?” Rey asked, her curiosity brimming over. 

“Yes! Born and raised up until I was about seven on that planet. Horrible place!” he said with false joviality. “And I do apologize, my manners have always been lacking young lady. I am called Anakin, and I would remove my mask for a beauty such as yourself but an accident years ago has rendered it necessary that I do not remove it in strong sunlight.”

“That’s alright,” she answered. “My name’s Rey.”

“A pretty name!” The big man turned to look at his companion, and Rey could swear that she felt the man roll his eyes. “And this young lout is my grandson Ben who can take off his mask to stop making the pretty girl nervous.”

The shorter man cringed a bit, and Rey gave him her best smile to encourage him. The masks still made her nervous, but Anakin seemed like a likeable fellow. As Ben reached up to disengage his mask, she half expected to be greeted by a disfigured face, just maybe not as bad as his grandfather’s. Why else would someone wear a mask if not to hide a horrible scar?

When the mask was finally off, Rey felt herself gasp. She was stunned when her hazel eyes met dark eyes that shown with an intensity that she was unfamiliar with. Ben’s face was long with prominent features that were unmarred by any deformity that she could see. His face was handsome, and on a planet with few humans, Rey was unprepared for the way her stomach flipped at laying eyes on it. His eyes flitted away after a moment, his entire body screaming awkwardness. “My apologies,” he said in a low voice that made the feeling in Rey’s stomach melt even more.

“It . . . it’s okay,” she returned, her smile growing awkward on her face. “It’s nice to meet the two of you.”

“And you,” Ben murmured while his grandfather all but bled amusement. 

Anakin gestured to the ship, and said, “And I apologize if our landing here is any problem. We’re having a bit of trouble with some of the electrical in our ship. Seems someone didn’t know what they were doing at its last tune up.”

Rey nodded. “There’s no problem. Do you need any help?”

“An extra pair of hands is always welcome,” Anakin said. He gestured to the panel that was open, and Rey took only a momentary look to determine the problem. 

“There’s too much on that one fuse,” she said. “We need to split it so that it will stop tripping.”

Both men shared a look, and Ben looked a bit smug when he said, “I told you it was the fuse.”

“Whelp!” Anakin thundered with patently false anger, “I’ve been fixing ships since before your mother was a gleam in my eye!”

“Yes, yes,” Ben murmured, his initial awkwardness with Rey momentarily forgotten, “And you built droids that are still kicking sixty years later. I am well aware of all of your accomplishments Papa Ani.”

The affectionate nickname struck Rey as amusingly silly in the light of the two intimidating figures that stood before her. Her giggle drew their attention back to her. Ben’s face colored a bit as he seemed to remember that she was there. Anakin gave his own chuckle. “Come now!” he said with a flick of a wrist, “Let us fix this fuse! And you, Miss Rey, you must share a meal with us!”

Rey was ready to demure, not wanting to take their food, but Anakin forestalled any argument. “We have plenty of food young lady! It would be a pleasure to have your company. We’ll eat out here.”

She nodded, and spent a pleasant hour helping them to fix the problem. Ben rarely said anything, but Anakin kept up a running commentary that included asking Rey about her life on Jakku. After they had finally reinstalled the panel, she waited as Anakin and Ben brought out a small table, and three boxes to sit on. Ben nodded for her to sit on one, and she did as Anakin brought out a small sun shade. It was odd to have people bustling around her, but Rey decided to just enjoy it while it lasted.

Anakin sat just as Ben brought out two plates. The younger man set them in front of his empty seat and Rey. She looked to Anakin, wondering if he were being left out because she was taking his food. The man gave her a small chuckle. 

“I have not eaten solid food in many years,” he explained as Ben returned again with a large jar. There was a straw sticking out the top, and she realized that part of Anakin’s mask was a port that allowed him to eat his food through a straw. Rey finally looked at her plate, and couldn’t identify anything on it. There was no portion bread, no veg-meat in all of it’s familiarity. 

Ben seemed to sense her dilemma, but he didn’t say anything. He just turned his eyes to his plate, and picked up his fork. He began eating the brown things, cutting them down into smaller pieces that he ate with gusto. Rey copied him, and gingerly tasted the new food. The flavor was completely different from her usual fare, and had a strange spiciness that she found pleasing. Without thinking she leaned closer to her food, instinct telling her to eat quickly before someone took such delicious food from her. 

Anakin and Ben shared a look above her head that Rey caught out of the corner of her eye. Neither one said anything, but Rey stopped her wolfing to look at herself versus them. With a blush she sat back a bit, and ate more sedately. After finishing her brown things, she turned to what she vaguely recognized as fruit. A bite proved her right, and she again ravenously laid into the food. She finished more quickly than the other two, but she didn’t feel embarrassed after Anakin picked up his jar and happily slurped along with her noisy munching on the bread. Ben seemed to ignore it all, focusing instead on his food. There was no conversation, all three of them busy eating. 

“Ah!” Anakin finally said, “Good food and good friends.”

Rey nodded, even though she wouldn’t go so far as to call them all friends. Ben had barely said two words to her even though Anakin was as convivial as could be. They were still strangers to her, but she liked them either way. And it helped that neither had batted an eye at her staff staying with her. They seemed to expect it anyway. “Thank you,” she said, “That was all delicious.”

“Our pleasure!” Anakin boomed, “But I will admit that it wasn’t completely out of the goodness of our hearts. We’re looking for someone.”

She shrugged. “You fed me, I guess I can help you.”

“Have you ever met a man named Lor San Tekka?” Ben said, his voice excited. 

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Never heard of him.”

“It would have been too easy,” Ben muttered to himself as he sat back. 

Anakin was not so easily let down. “So I take it he must not be in the nearest settlement?”

“No, there’s no one in Niima Outpost who has that name,” she answered.

“Do you know of any nearby settlements?” Ben asked. “Any villages?”

“Well,” Rey answered, “There’s one about a day’s ride from here. Your Lor San Tekka may live there.”

“Can you lead us there?” Ben pressed, his eyes bright and intense. Rey was a little taken aback by his manner.

“We can pay you,” Anakin added. “Just name your price.”

Rey glanced between the two of them, and gave a small smile. “A meal. It’s what I would get paid for a day’s scavenging.”

“A meal it is,” Anakin said. “You and Ben can leave at first light. If that’s agreeable.”

She nodded. “That sounds good.”

Anakin cleared the table of the used utensils, and when Rey tried to help shooed her back to her seat. It was the height of oddity to see the big man in the skull mask doing something so mundane as clearing dishes. Rey realized that she had smiled more in this odd evening than she had in the past few years combined. “Thank you,” she said to Ben.

He didn’t meet her eyes when he replied, “It’s nothing. You’ve helped us.”

She nodded. “Yes, but you’ve shared your food with me. Not a lot of people do that on Jakku.”

He shrugged. “We’re not from Jakku.”

“Your grandfather said Tatooine.”

“No,” he replied, “He was born there, but we aren’t from there.” He glanced around. “It’s getting dark. We can walk you back to your home.”

Rey also glanced around, and realized that he was right. “Okay, I would like that.”

~~

Ben examined the sky, looking at the stars of Jakku’s sky with a little bit of melancholy. Somewhere out there his father was pulling his latest con and his mother was planning an all out assault. He wondered as he always did if they actually thought of him, or if their own lives were still more important than their son’s. 

: _Come now my little knight_ ,: his grandfather said into his mind, : _Don’t dwell on such dark thoughts. Your parents love you._ :

Easy for Papa Ani to say. : _Do you think San Tekka is on this dirt ball?_ :

: _Any adventure worth having always starts on a desert planet. I’m just glad its not Tatooine._ :

: _That’s just what I want to hear._ : Ben shook his head and slid down the side of the ship to walked back up the ramp. “Do you think that scavenger girl can help us find him?”

Anakin had taken off his helmet in the safe atmosphere of the courier ship, and his blue eyes danced at his grandson. “She could, she could. Tell me, don’t you think she’s pretty?”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Papa Ani, I’m not doing this with you again.”

“What?” Papa Ani said with false innocence. “I’m just saying.”

The younger man growled as he stalked past his annoying elder. In their travels from one end of the galaxy to the other, every time they met a young lady Anakin would try to interest Ben. Lately he’d also opened up the obvious matchmaking to include men. 

“Ben.”

The younger man turned, and gave his grandfather his full attention. The older man’s blue eyes softened. “I want you to be happy, my little knight. I won’t be around forever, and I don’t want to leave you alone.”

Ben shook his head, not wanting to dwell on his beloved grandfather’s mortality. But before the door to his rooms closed, he replied, “She is pretty.”

He felt his grandfather’s elation, but Ben decided that the admission would at least mollify his Papa Ani. He laid down on his bed, and let his thoughts turn to her. Rey. The little scavenger who had agreed with him about the fuse being overburdened. When he’d laid eyes on her, he had been so glad that neither of them had removed their masks upon landing. His serene Queen mask had hidden the stunned look on his face. He had not been expecting her. 

_The girl from his Force vision._

Years ago, upon completing his lightsaber, Ben had gone through a powerful vision. He’d seen the slaughter of his fellow padawans beside the image of a girl of light and strength. Rey, he’d seen Rey. Brown hair bundled into three buns on the back of her head, hazel eyes that danced with curiosity, a lithe body that curved in all the right places. He’d never even told his grandfather about her, and here she was standing before him. 

But he’d been completely unable to talk to her. Every time he’d tried to, the words would die in his throat. What did he know about talking to women? Of all ironies, the son of Han Solo - biggest flirt in the galaxy - couldn’t talk to women. The only woman he’d had more than one conversation with was Genevra, and she didn’t really count. So he had stayed silent, only finding his voice when it came to Lor San Tekka. It was imperative that they find his uncle, and Lor San Tekka was the key to finding him. 

And maybe he’d find his voice with her tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this far! I hope you've enjoyed it!


	3. Poe and Finn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, a Stormtrooper, a Resistance Fighter, and a Jedi end up on this planet . . .

The dawn found Rey up and moving around quickly. She performed quick maintenance on her speeder as she listened out for Ben. Anakin would stay with their ship while she and Ben would make the ride out to the village she knew about. It didn’t have a name as far as she knew, but she would attempt to get them there and back quickly. As she pulled her speeder out of the AT-AT, she looked up to see a figure riding towards her. The figure was dressed in practical desert clothing of white and grey, but the fluffy black hair blowing in the wind marked the figure as Ben. 

He pulled up on his speeder, a nice model that was nothing like the cobbled together thing she drove. Rey admired the machine for a moment before she greeted him. “Morning,” she said jovially. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”

“No hurry,” he replied, and Rey could tell that it took him a great deal of effort to reply. She smiled to herself, deciding that she thought his reticence was cute. She was used to overly aggressive males who tended towards the mouthy and gropey. It was nice to be around a man who wasn’t trying to get her into his bed. She mounted up, and started towards the rising sun. 

The miles passed in gentle monotony, sand and the occasional living creature being the only things that Rey could see. Every so often she would hang back a little, slow down and check on Ben. She would raise a hand to him, and he would return the gesture to show that he was alright. It wasn’t until mid-morning that something struck Rey as off, but it didn’t come from the land on the horizon. She pulled up short, and as soon as Ben stopped beside her she pointed into the sky. “Is that what I think it is?”

Ben tensed up immediately, his face going from shy to serious in nanoseconds. “That’s a First Order TIE Fighter.”

“What would the First Order be doing out near Jakku?” Rey asked incredulously. “All we have is Old Imperial wrecks.”

“You have more than that,” Ben seemed to say more to himself than to her. His eyes narrowed on the tumbling ship. “It’s in trouble though, and I don’t see any others. TIEs don’t usually travel alone.”

“Maybe a fight going on out above the atmosphere?” Rey asked excitedly. “Resistance, maybe?”

Ben shook his head. “Resistance doesn’t usually run out this far. This is something else.”

They watched the ship fall, and then smash into the ground a few miles away. “Do we check it out?” Rey asked, her curiosity and scavenger’s pragmatic soul itching to check out the crash site. 

Her companion seemed to be less enthused about the prospect, but he nodded cautiously. His eyes were serious as he turned to her. “I’ll take point. You hang back.”

Rey bristled at that, but when Ben pulled a wicked looking blaster out of a hidden holster at his side, she quickly shut her mouth. While she was more than capable of taking care of herself, she wasn’t stupid. He was the one with the wickedly ranged weapon. They started off again, this time with Ben in the lead. Rey kept herself a few lengths back, far enough that if it looked like trouble she could cut out quickly. As they approached the crash site, something caught her eye. “Ben!” she called. 

The man turned at her shout, and followed her pointing finger. They approached what looked like an ejector seat with a body still attached. Rey could see the body move a bit, and raise a cautious head. Ben was the first off of his speeder, and approached the body with blaster at the ready. The man in the seat gingerly rose, and from her perch on her speeder, Rey could see the faint trickle of blood running down his forehead. He was a man of middling height, with olive skin and dark, curly hair. He and Ben spent a moment regarding each other. 

“So who talks first, do I talk first?” the man said quickly into the silence. 

“What are you doing in a TIE Fighter?” Ben growled, his voice low and dangerous. Rey found herself taken aback by the tone. She was used to the gentle cadence of his voice, not this harsh rasp. 

“What business is it of –“ The man stopped, his face morphing into shock. He blinked several times before putting his hands down at his sides. “ _Holy shit_ , you’re General Organa’s son! She’s got a picture of you on her desk on base!”

“Who’s General Organa?” Rey asked into the ensuing shocked silence.

“The last picture taken of me was when I was ten,” Ben said, ignoring Rey’s question. “How did you recognize me?”

“Your eyes,” the man said candidly. “You’ve got your mom’s eyes. And then I put that together with the hair.”

“I told Papa Ani I should shave my head,” Ben growled in displeasure.

“So who’s General Organa?” Rey asked again, hoping this time for an actual answer. 

“She leads the Resistance,” the man said, his eyes finally turning to the girl on the speeder. “And who are you, good lookin’?”

Rey rolled her eyes. Here was the type of male she was used to. “My name’s Rey.”

“Well Rey, I’m Poe Dameron. Nice to meet you.” He glanced over at Ben, and something in the other man’s eyes seemed to amuse him. “And you must be Ben Solo.”

That surname clicked something in Rey’s mind. “Wait, Solo, like Han Solo? The smuggler who made the Kessel Run in 14 parsecs?”

“ _Twelve_ ,” Ben snapped. 

“What?” the other two chorused.

“Twelve parsecs. My father made the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs,” he said savagely as he lowered his blaster and stomped back to his speeder. 

Poe ran a sheepish hand through his hair before he spoke again. “Have either one of you seen another guy? He’s about my height, dark skin, wearing most of a Stormtrooper’s suit of armor? I call him Finn.”

Rey shook her head as she watched Ben mount his speeder with ill humor. “No, you’re the first one we’ve seen.”

“Get on,” Ben growled. 

Poe blinked. “Get on a speeder,” Ben growled again. “We’ll go check out that crash site and see if we can’t find your friend.”

Poe was quick to approach Rey. “Do you mind?” he asked, saying in a near whisper, “Ben does not seem like the best person to ride with right now.”

She smiled at the man who had a bit of soot streaked across his cheek. “Hop on.”

He mounted, and both of them missed the look of utter murder on Ben’s face. They started their speeders, making quickly for the crash site. When they got there, they didn’t see anyone. Poe quickly jumped off and ran to the TIE Fighter that was smashed into the nearest sand dune. “Finn!” he cried.

“Poe!” came a call from over a ridge of sand. Up popped a figure of black and white, jogging awkwardly across the sand. “Poe!”

“Aw, man, it’s good to see ya!” Poe called, running to meet his friend. They gave each other a quick hug before approaching the two speeders again. “Rey, Ben, meet Finn. Finn, the cute girl on the red speeder is Rey, and the mean looking guy on the white one is Ben Solo.”

The man called Finn raised a hand in greeting. “So, where are we?” the dark man asked.

“You’re about a hundred fifty miles out from Niima Outpost,” Rey said. “We can –“ She stopped, realizing that technically, she was an employed guide right now. She had no say in what they could do, or at least, she had no say if she wanted that meal tonight.

But it seemed that Ben had already agreed with her. “We can take them back to Niima.” He gave Poe an intense look. “That is if you have it.”

“What are you talking about?” Poe replied, though even Rey could tell he was skating around something.

“Don’t play stupid with me, Dameron. I know what you’re out here for.”

The man nodded. “Yeah, I got it, but I had to hide it in my droid. A little BB unit.”

Ben nodded. “I’ll help you find it. What about Lor San Tekka?”

The two men on the ground looked grim. “The Knight of Ren ordered us to shoot them all,” Finn answered in a small voice.

“Wait,” Rey said in shock, “You’re an actual Stormtrooper?”

“Yeah,” Finn said with a swallow.

“He was the one who got me out,” Poe said in the other man’s defense. “He’s a good guy.”

Rey nodded numbly, her world suddenly in a whirl around her. She was sitting out in the desert of Jakku with the son of a legend and the oddest pair of friends she could imagine. What had she gotten herself into? “Well, hop on, one of you. Let’s get you back to Nima.”

“No, we’ll go back to my ship.” Ben patted the back of his speeder. 

~~  
The ride back was as monotonous as the ride out, but Ben found his mind swirling with thoughts. Lor San Tekka was dead, and an entire village wiped out by the First Order. His mother was actively hunting his Uncle Luke as well, and he would have to actually face her soon. She kept a picture of him on her desk for the entire Resistance to see. 

Ben acknowledged then that he was still seething over Dameron revealing who his mother was. For the fifteen years he’d lived with his grandfather he’d been largely able to avoid being outed as his mother and father’s son. He’d been able to avoid the inevitable comparisons to his father and his mother, but he still hated it with a passion when anyone spoke to him of his parents. His emotions seethed beneath his skin, his deep seated anger and rage nearly bringing tears to his eyes. 

When asked to give a surname, he was _Ben Skywalker_ for a reason. It had been a Skywalker that wanted him, a Skywalker who had trained him and loved him, and didn’t care that he could perform mind tricks as soon as he could talk. That he could freeze people so completely that they couldn’t even turn their heads. That he could catch blaster shots and freeze them, or even move them as needed. He was not a Solo or an Organa. He refused to truly lay claim to a man who would leave his son out of fear or a woman who would willingly abandon her son. 

Even if a tiny part of him still missed the scent of his mother’s skin and the cadence of his father’s voice.

Anakin did not discourage his use of the Skywalker name – it invited its own problems, but it was helped that the name was not uncommon on Tatooine – but he did insist on using Ben’s true name when addressing his grandson in serious matters. Anakin was also the one who continually tried to remind him that his parents loved him, even when Ben had plenty evidence to the contrary. 

Mid-day came and passed as the two speeders ate the distance between the downed TIE Fighters and Ben’s ship. As the sun mercilessly beat down, he found himself turning his head back to his flagging passenger. Finn still wore his bulky armor, and Ben suspected that the white outer shell could only do so much. He held up a hand to signal Rey, and they slowed to a stop. The bigger man leaped off the speeder and then gestured for his passenger to get down. “Take off the armor.”

Finn’s eyes bugged out a bit. “What?!”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Take off your armor. You’re roasting back there aren’t you?”

The younger man figedted a bit before nodding. “The suit’s climate control doesn’t work unless the helmet is engaged.”

“Even more reason to take it off,” Ben replied, beginning to take off his own outer tunic. His under shirt was thinner, and short sleeved, but the former Stormtrooper was heading steadily towards heat stroke. 

After the armor was in a pile on the ground, he nodded to the other man’s black under shirt. “Take that off too.” He held out his over tunic. 

Finn didn’t argue, but did as he was told. Ben glanced over to see Rey flushed in the cheeks, and Poe laughing silently. Ben looked back at Finn, and realized that the man was disrobing right in front of the girl. His already seething temper almost ignited at seeing the man stripping in full view. “Turn your back!” he snapped.

“Wha?” Finn asked before looking over at Rey and Poe. “Oh!” The younger man turned his back, and Ben surpressed a growl at the still unsatisfying solution to the problem. He didn’t stop glaring at the other man until the off-white tunic was over his head. When he turned back to Rey and Poe it was to see Rey looking at the sky with the blush still hot on her cheeks, and Poe giving him a sly look. Ben only had to lower his shields a bit to hear the other man’s thoughts. 

“ _I see what you did there._ ”

The rest of the ride was spent imagining all the wonderful ways he could murder Dameron in the other man’s sleep.

~~  
The sun was well on its way to the western horizon when the two speeders finally pulled up back in front of Anakin and Ben’s ship. Rey dismounted, with Poe quick to follow. Finn and Ben did as well, and Ben gestured to them to enter the ship. Finn was quick to trot after him, and Rey and Poe shambled up with them. After Poe entered the ship, Ben closed the ramp. “Grandfather,” he called. 

“Back so soon?” Anakin called, ducking into the common area. Rey found herself finally seeing the man without the mask, and she was a bit surprised. She had though that he would be horribly scarred – he had mentioned an accident – but the skin of his head was smooth, if very pale. His eyes were blue, and seemed happy to see them. “Who do we have here?”

Ben glanced back at the three of them. “This is Poe and Finn. We found them after they crashed their TIE Fighter.”

“Crashed a TIE Fighter? They’re not that bad to fly.”

Ben sighed, and Rey nearly smiled at his long suffering look. “Poe Dameron, Finn, meet my grandfather, Anakin.”

Finn was quick to offer a hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

Anakin blinked first at the earnestly offered hand, and then at the man attached to it. “Is that Ben’s shirt?” he asked as he took the proffered appendage. Rey stared at the metal hand that was revealed. 

“He was baking in his Stormtrooper armor,” Ben murmured. 

“Stormtrooper?” his grandfather repeated. Rey watched as something seemed to percolate in the old man’s mind. Before anyone could say anything further, he began to laugh. The episode quickly became almost hysterical. 

“Grandfather?” Ben asked with a skeptical brow raised. 

“Oh, I apologize,” he replied while wiping a tear from his eye, “Funny thought just occurred to me.”  
~~  
: _Papa Ani?:_  
: _. . . So, a Stormtrooper, a Resistance fighter, and a Sith Lord are in a bar -_ :  
: _Papa Ani, for Force sake!_ :  
: _By the way, there’s a little droid I saved earlier._ :  
: _. . . And you couldn’t have led with that?_ :

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, thank you for your kudos and comments! I'm glad that you guys have enjoyed this story! 
> 
> And I couldn't help throwing in some Ben and Poe antagonism. It just struck me that these two should totally be the vitriolic buddies who live to tweak each other's tail!


	4. Falcon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Also known as Ben Solo and the No Good, Horrible, Rotten Day.

Anakin insisted on feeding everyone, and Rey wondered if this was what it was like to have a father. Anakin seemed always ready to take care of her, and now was clucking over Poe and Finn. In addition to feeding them, he insisted on dressing Poe’s head injury and getting Finn some proper clothes. He’d even threatened to bust out his sewing kit to take in some of Ben’s clothes so that they’d fit Finn better. She couldn’t help but be charmed by his obviously paternal behavior. 

“Thank you, but these clothes are fine,” Finn said for the third time.

“You’re sure?”

“Papa Ani!” Ben cried from in the galley, “Would you leave him alone?!”

“Papa Ani?” Poe said.

“Hey, I think it’s cute,” Rey piped up.

Anakin laughed, “You can all call me that.”

“Really?” Finn asked.

Ben stalked out of the galley, handing Rey and Finn bowls of stew. “You two can call him that.” He glared at Poe. “You will refer to him as Master Skywalker.” He stalked right back into the galley.

Anakin followed his progress with an amused expression. “Ignore him Poe. You remind him of his father.”

There was an audible growl from the galley.

“Now,” Anakin said as he received his dinner, “Tell us what you were able to find. Why did you send your droid out without you?”

Poe looked down at BB-8, and he smiled at his little friend who beeped happily. “Lor San Tekka had the map on a storage disk. I was able to get BB-8 away before they took me.”

Ben sat down around the round table beside Rey. She found herself looking over at his unhappy face. The space was perhaps only meant for four people – having five around the table seemed to force them to scrunch together. On one side she had Finn right against her, and on the other Ben’s arm kept brushing against hers. Every time they touched, both of them flinched away from one another. Rey knew that she was simply not used to human contact, and she guessed he wasn’t either.

“Have you looked at the map?” Ben asked. 

“No, the First Order got there before I could,” Poe said. He turned to the cute little droid that beeped at him. “BB, can you show us?”

After a series of beeps, BB-8 rolled back from the table and projected the data on the drive. The blue glow turned into a sector of space unfamiliar to everyone at the table. “Well, this doesn’t help much,” Poe muttered. 

“No,” Anakin said slowly, “This helps a great deal.” He looked to Ben. “We have some friends who may have star charts we can compare to this.”

“Really?!” Poe asked. “I mean, my mission was to bring this back to General Organa, but this by itself is nearly useless. If I can bring her those charts too . . .” 

Ben had stiffened upon the name of his mother, and Rey gave him a concerned look. She knew this wasn’t her fight, wasn’t her problem, but something within her had to speak. “Why not just go get him? If you have the charts and the map, I mean? And why not team up with Anakin and Ben? You’re all looking for the same person.”

Anakin nodded. “It would make far more sense.”

Ben sighed gustily. “I guess it wouldn’t be a bad idea.” Something in his tone said he hated the thought. “It can’t be helped, especially if Mother is involved.”

At that precise moment, Rey wanted to burst. Something about the way Ben spoke about his parents, the way he behaved when they were mentioned, grated along every nerve she had. She wanted to ask him what was so bad about having a famous father, a driven mother. _At least he had them_. At least he knew where they were. Who they were. Rey would give nearly anything to know those things. But right now, she held her tongue. It was not her problem. 

Instead, she dug into her food as Poe and Anakin discussed the details. Finn fidgeted around beside her, and she gave him a small glance. “What’s wrong Finn?”

The young man shrugged. “I’m just thinking.”

Poe grinned at his new friend. “Thinking about coming with me? Joining the Resistance for real?”

Finn started a bit. “I can do that?”

“Of course!” Poe said.

“My daughter would never turn down another capable warrior,” Anakin added. 

Finn looked down, and Rey smiled at him when his head rose again. “Yeah, yeah! I can do that.” He grinned at her and Ben. “What about you Rey?”

Her eyes widened, and she found herself the center of attention with a mouth full of stew. She chewed quickly, and shook her head. “No, I can’t leave.”

“Why not?” Ben asked, his voice a quiet rumble to her left. 

“They told me to wait for them,” she blurted. “My parents. I can’t just go off.”

Ben and Anakin shared a look while Poe and Finn looked a little crestfallen. “You can’t leave a message for them?” Anakin asked gently. “I imagine that they’d not want you to miss an opportunity to live your life by your rules.”

Rey gave him a queer look. The older man sighed, and shook his head. “Darling girl, you’ve lived here for fourteen years, scraped by because you had no choice. I cannot imagine why your parents chose to leave you here on this desert hell, but as a father I cannot imagine them wishing you to purposely exile yourself here. I think your parents would much rather just miss you than have your throw away an opportunity to leave Jakku and find who you were meant to be.”

“Who . . . I was meant to be?” she murmured. 

“So, you want to be a scavenger for the rest of your life?” Ben added. When her head whipped around to look at him, he averted his earnest eyes. “You could be more than that, Rey.”

She blinked, and something about what they were saying sank into her brain. She digested it slowly, not fully comprehending at first what they were saying. Her parents . . . they’d told her to wait for them . . . they’d be back . . . 

But wouldn’t they want her to live her life?

“ . . . Unkar Plutt. They left me with him. I could . . . He takes promises seriously. If I had something to trade him, I could have him promise me to tell them where I’m going, so they can find me.” Rey looked up at the four men. “Then I can go with you.”

Four faces lit with pleasure, and Rey felt her own mouth turning into a huge grin. Poe’s smile was jaunty, ready to welcome another adventurer into the fold. Finn’s was gleeful, glad not to be the only greenhorn coming along. Anakin’s was paternal, and his eyes crinkled in delight. When she glanced over at him, Ben’s was small and satisfied. “But,” she said thinking that those four grins were about to turn upside down, “I don’t have anything that would get a promise out him.”

Ben pushed up, and walked into a small room off of the common room. He came back with a board of circuitry that she recognized as a navigation system board. It could be modified to fit most light freighters. “Will this do?”

She grinned and nodded enthusiastically. “That’ll be perfect!”

“We’ve got what, four hours until sunset?” Poe asked. “Will this Plutt guy be around?”

“Unkar Plutt’s stand is open until sunset,” Rey answered. “We can be there in less than thirty minutes. We can go and get back before dark, easy.”

“Then let’s do this!” Finn whooped. 

Anakin chuckled. “You children go. I’ll stay with the ship.”

Not fifteen minutes later found the four speeding across the sands on their way to Niima Outpost. Rey and Ben were on their speeders, with Poe and Finn on the double speeder Anakin usually used. As they pulled into town, Ben called to Poe and Finn. “You go with Rey. I’m going to check something out.”

Poe approached him. “What’s up?”

Ben examined the other man. “How much do you know about me?”

“You’re General Organa’s only child, and rumors say you were in training to be a Jedi once upon a time.”

“Then trust me, I need to check something out.”

Rey watched him stalk off towards the other side of the Outpost, heading towards the lamp merchant. She was in minor shock. “He is a Jedi?!”

“I thought they were just rumors man!” Finn exclaimed. 

Poe shook his head. “Nah, the Jedi are real, but I don’t know if he’s one or not. Most of what I know is just scuttlebutt. General Organa and Han Solo don’t talk much about him.”

“You’ve met Han Solo too?!” Rey asked, practically bouncing as she walked. 

“Yeah, he’s amazing!” Poe replied. “He comes by every so often to help train us in between his adventures.”

As they approached Unkar Plutt’s stand, Rey felt a creepy feeling crawling up her spine. She remembered the feeling well. Her instincts were all but screaming at her to run. Instead, she marched up to Unkar’s window and presented the nav board. “I have a trade for you. This for a promise.”

Unkar Plutt grunted. “And what promise would that be?”

“I’ve . . . been hired on by this trader crew. I want your promise that if my parents come looking for me you’ll tell them I’m . . .” She trailed off, looking back at Poe and Finn. 

“She’s going with Poe Dameron,” he piped up. 

Unkar looked between the two of them, and took the nav board with a nod. “An acceptable trade. I promise I will tell your parents that you’ve gone with Poe Dameron.”

She nodded, and turned to leave. “Rey.”

She turned back, confused until she saw the considering look on Unkar Plutt’s face. “You sure you want to trade this life for the Resistance?”

“I never said –“

Unkar snorted. “Don’t think me a fool! Everyone knows that Poe Dameron is the Resistance’s ace pilot. You aren’t fooling anyone.”

Poe opened his mouth in outrage, while Finn looked confused. “I never heard of you.”

“Well thanks.”

Rey looked at Unkar for a moment before answering. “It can’t be any worse than the life I’ve lived here.”

Unkar Plutt laughed. “Keep that spunk girl. It’ll help you survive.”

Rey turned her back, and walked away. Poe and Finn fell in step with her, before Poe held up a hand. He was looking off towards the edge of town. Rey followed his gaze, and her eyes widened. “Are those –“

Poe grabbed her hand, and the young woman found herself being dragged along as they ran to the nearby merchant stands. After the entered one of the tents, she wrenched her hand from his. “What were you doing grabbing my hand?!”

“On no!” Finn cried, grabbing her other hand now, and making them run back towards the gates of town. Blaster shots rained around them, and Rey felt the breeze of one just barely missing her. They ran until they were lost in the small warren of merchant tents, and again, Rey took back her hand with a mildly violent gesture. 

“ _Why do you two keep grabbing my hands?!_ ”

The two looked like they were about to answer, when their faces both paled. Rey turned to see what was going on when she was suddenly hit by some idiot on a speeder.Or at least, that’s what she thought for a moment as something simultaneously hit her and lifted her into the air. She screeched, but over that she heard a distinctive voice yelling, “TIEs! Run now!”

Ben was carrying her as he ran.  
~~  
Later, Ben would ask himself just what wild thought led him to grabbing Rey up into his arms as he ran, but at the time it had seemed like a good idea. After he’d picked her up, she clung to his neck and curled up to his chest. He appreciated that she made herself smaller – it helped him keep his balance as he sprinted. He’d seen a couple of ships outside of town as he’d prowled the perimeter to get an idea of what disturbance he was feeling in the Force. 

He could hear Dameron and Finn running flat out behind him, and the sound of blasters and the screaming of a TIE coming in for a shot were deafening. But Ben mostly ignored the screams of people ducking the destruction, his world narrowed to his body, the Force, and the warm weight in his arms. His target was the quadjumper that would hopefully allow them to escape the TIE Fighter. As they exited the gate, Finn finally spoke up. “Wait, what about that one?”

Dameron glanced over and replied. “Finn, that one is trash!”

“Complete garbage!” came the voice from beneath Ben’s chin. 

An explosion rocked the world as the TIE Fighter hit the gate behind them, and pushed the three men to run faster. Ben tapped more of the Force, needing it to keep going. Rey was slim, but she was all muscle. He pushed himself harder to get to the jumper.

That’s when it exploded.

The three men skidded to a stop, shared a look, and Dameron quipped, “Garbage it is!” They turned and sprinted just as fast towards the ship Finn had pointed out, and Ben’s stomach sank. _No_ , he thought, _It couldn’t be. The Maker isn’t this cruel_.

But as he approached, he realized that his luck had solidly run out. He knew this ship. He’d taken his first steps on this ship. He’d eaten his first meals, lived his first years. He’d discovered the Force on this ship. What it was doing rotting away on this desert hell was beyond him, but here it was to taunt him. 

The _Millennium Falcon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you all for the kudos and comments! They are partially the reason that I've updated so quickly! 
> 
> May I just say that I love writing Anakin? He might be a bit OOC sometimes, but he just comes out as this big, fun loving guy who enjoys trolling his grandson when I write him. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter too!


	5. Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, at least Chewie is happy to see him.

The Throne Room of Starkiller Base was as cold and desolate as the planet had become. Once upon a time this great orb of rock had been a thriving green planet orbiting a small, yellow sun. Then the First Order had come, and in a preview of what they wished to do to the entire galaxy, they remade the thriving world into their own image. Now the only plant life that had survived were the hardy trees to the planet’s chillier north. The coniferous, spindly things were encouraged in order to at least keep the atmosphere healthy to breathe on the surface. The planet’s core – which had provided heat in order to help move the weather into life-friendly seasons and ocean currents – had been completely cut away in a delicate process that had required careful calibrations to keep the planet’s core from collapsing under its own gravity during its weaponization. 

As Supreme Leader Snoke gazed out upon it, he examined the Knight he’d insisted come back to report on the First Order’s latest failure. “You say now that the droid has the map?”

The Knight of Ren who knelt before him was not his choice for the Master of his order. However, Snoke’s own dreams of a powerful protégé to rival even the infamous Darth Sidious had been dashed almost fifteen years ago. The boy – oh and how he’d been ripe for the plucking! – had been whisked away years ago. Even when he’d sent his older Knights, the ones he’d cherry-picked at the same time that wretch Skywalker had been starting his new Jedi Temple, had arrived, the boy had been gone. They’d slaughtered their rivals that had remained, but Snoke knew the boy was out there somewhere, more than likely somewhere near Skywalker. 

Though, sometimes when he was alone with his thoughts, Snoke remembered the voice that had cast him from that boy’s mind. It had not been fully of the Light – Darkness had given the voice a twilit sort of feeling. Luke Skywalker had been reportedly completely of the Light. Then there was the ringing authority of a man used to command. As far as Snoke knew, Skywalker had never been in command of much of anything. In all, he had the suspicion that the voice and presence he’d felt was not Luke Skywalker. But that led to a whole new set of considerations. If not Skywalker, then who? 

However, the Supreme Leader of the First Order set those thoughts aside as he watched his second choice for the Master of the Knights of Ren bow in complete supplication. He wore his own set of unique black armor. Snoke had given each of his five Knights free reign to design their own regalia. This particular Knight wore an asymmetrical overcoat and a helmet that lacked any sort of facial features at all. Not even eyes stared out from it. Instead, parallel lines ran across and down it to look almost like a grid. “Inquis Ren. What have you to say for yourself?”

The voice that answered him was synthesized to sound low and guttural, though Snoke knew that the man beneath it had a voice much higher and much more nasal than this. “The pilot was able to hide the map in a droid. The droid was long gone by the time we were aware of this.”

“And what is Hux doing now to retrieve it?”

“He is scouring Jakku.” Inquis raised his head. “I ask forgiveness for our mistake.”

Snoke let out a rumbling sigh. “Your mistake is grave, but not unforgivable. Find the droid, get that map. I can feel Skywalker. He’s up to something.”

“My lord?” Inquis asked softly, hesitantly. 

Snoke decided that it would not be unwise to share his feelings. “I cannot find him in space, but I can feel his echoes. When we attacked his Temple, I was able to find his particular signature, and memorize it, as it were. A little . . . talent of mine. I can feel him through the Force, even if I cannot find him. He is using the Force more readily these days then he has in the past fifteen years. I was content to let him live when his signature was faint and barely there, but with it growing more every day . . . He must be found.”

“Then I will carry out your will,” Inquis Ren stated as he stood. “I will find the droid.”  
~~  
Rey found herself gently deposited in the co-pilot’s seat of the old Corellian freighter that she’d spent many afternoons exploring. Unkar Plutt never flew the thing, but had not objected to her explorations. He’d skin anyone else that came near it, but all of Niima Outpost had learned that he had a soft spot for Rey. He was not necessarily nice to her, but he at least had enough interest in her to prevent her from dying. Like everyone else she had to earn her keep, but Plutt had made sure that she’d survived to adulthood when others at the Outpost would have probably been happy for her death. 

She examined the controls, and when Ben went to start her up she stopped him. “Unkar Plutt installed a fuel pump. We have to prime that before we can fly.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Is he the same moron who installed a compressor?”

“I know! It will put too much stress on the hyperdrive!” Rey moaned. “But right now let’s just get her in the air.”

Ben nodded, and Rey glanced back to see that Poe and Finn were no where to be seen. Then she remembered that as they’d scrambled up the ramp Ben had pointed down a shaft and told them to get on the guns. She remembered the freighter’s armaments were down the same shaft. She got back to her work, booting up the systems that were groggy with disuse as the distinctive scream of a TIE Fighter opened up behind them. “Come on, come on,” she chanted. 

“Hold on,” Ben murmured, the freighter rising into the air. Rey felt jitters up and down her arms, but watched Ben carefully as he guided the ship into the sky. There was a jolt as he coaxed the ship to put on speed. 

“Got two TIEs on our tail!” Poe called over the ship’s intercom. 

“Stay low!” Finn shouted. “It’ll confuse their sensors!”

“Got it,” Ben all but snarled as he coaxed more speed out of the ship. “Rey, which way to the ships you scavenge?”

“Why?”

He looked over at her, a manic gleam in his eyes. For a moment he didn’t look like the Ben she’d come to know over the last two days. Gone was the quiet, sometimes surly man, and in his place was a boy with a maniacal grin and a bad idea that promised to be oh so good. “We’ll need cover,” he answered. 

She nodded, pointing the direction. “That way! There’s a super star destroyer out there, the _Ravager_.”

“Super star destroyer?” Ben mused aloud, his grin never leaving his face. “Always wanted to see what the inside of one of those looked like.”

“Well now’s your chance!” Rey laughed. Her heart raced with excitement as they maneuvered the ship to and fro, and they whooped with their two gunners after Finn scored a hit on one of the TIEs. “Someone’s about to make five portions, easy,” Rey quipped. 

“Good on em,” Ben returned as he looked over at her. The _Ravager_ filled their viewport. “Ready?”

In reply, she used her controls to put on the speed.

“What are you two doing?!” Finn asked.

“You crazy sonsa-“ Poe all but shouted. 

The sun cut out and became nothing but cut up streaks as the freighter looped and swirled around the interior of the destroyer. “There’s a opening on the side, we can go out, shoot straight up, and ambush that fighter on the other side,” Rey said.

“Let’s do it,” Ben cried, and the ship shot through, up, and around. The plan worked like a charm, the second TIE going down with a well aimed shot from Poe. Ben pushed the ship up again towards the sky, and they shot out into space. 

Rey sat back, the last ten minutes finally catching up with her. “We did it.” She jumped up from the pilot’s seat. “We did it!” Without thinking she leaned over and hugged Ben tightly, pounding on his back with glee. 

Poe and Finn returned and she leaped on each of them in turn. Poe leaned against the seat Ben sat in and said, “That was some great flying.”

“Yeah,” Ben replied, stroking the console, “Not all me though.” He gestured his head towards Rey. 

Poe turned to her and gave her a squeeze too. “Oh, the things I could teach you in an X-wing!”

“Really?! I’ve seen them all around Jakku, and I have a flight simulator, but-“

“Oh don’t worry,” Poe said with a huge smile, “You are getting trained right on base. No need to send you to Hosnian Prime. You’ve got the skills; you only need the practice.”

Rey could feel her smile almost bursting off her face, but she didn’t fully realize how her three male companions were entranced by it. It was so bright and full of Light that even if the three had not an ounce of Force-sensitivity in them they would feel its power. “I would love that.”

At that exact moment, a loud pop sounded from outside the cockpit, causing the four to spill out into the main area. Vapor was rising through the decking, and both Rey and Ben leapt to remove the hatch. Both leaped down into the space, going straight for the problem. Finn and Poe stood by, and started with Rey suddenly popped back up. “Wrench!”

Poe handed to her and she popped back down. “What’s wrong?” Finn asked.

“Outgassing,” she answered when she popped back up again. “Hand me the bonding tape.”

Finn picked up the first one he saw. “No, that one,” she said.

Poe picked up the next one. “No, the one I am pointing too,” she gritted.

Finn picked up yet another roll of tape. “Give me the one I am pointing to or else the ship will fill with poisonous gas!”

At that moment, Ben popped back up with annoyance writ all over him. “For Force sake!” he snarled, whipping out a hand. The yellow bonding tape Rey had been pointing to flew into his hand, and he ducked back down, bringing her with him. “Now get down here and help me!”

Poe and Finn blinked at one another. “Okay,” Poe said, “Yeah, he’s a Jedi.”

~~  
In the end, the problem was not as bad as they had thought, but Ben still breathed a sigh of relief when it was patched up to his satisfaction. The _Falcon_ looked like crap and between what Unkar Plutt had performed on it and its age, the ship was in dire need of a tune up. He stood up, and then deftly lifted his body out of the smuggling space. He held out a hand to Rey, and the girl took it gladly. She was still looking at him oddly, and he felt a blush creep up his cheeks. Before he could say anything, the ship lurched and the lights flickered. “Oh, what now?” Ben muttered. 

They trotted back to the bridge, but they could only see the opening of a ship. “The First Order! They caught us!” Finn cried out in fear.

“No,” Ben said, something tingling along his spine. “This isn’t the First Order.”

“Then who is it?” Poe asked. 

He pointed back to a nondescript little box over near the sitting area. “Look in there. If no one has moved them, there should be a couple of blasters in there. Rey, keep your staff ready.”

Poe cocked his head. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Ben replied. The other two fetched the blasters that were exactly where they were supposed to be, and Rey stood at Ben’s side with her staff at the ready. When the lights flickered back on, the four were focused on the entrance. They all tensed when it opened, but no one anticipated who walked through the door. 

The man and Wookie didn’t seem to see them at first. “Chewie,” the man murmured, “We’re home.”

Ben froze in complete shock. _How could my day possibly get worse?_

His father finally looked over at them, and his jaw dropped. With his slack mouth, he looked so old. Part of Ben marveled at how fragile his father appeared. His father should be brown haired and his face unlined by wrinkles. Not gray and his skin sagging with age. “Ben?” Han whispered. 

Chewbacca had a completely different reaction. “ _Little one!_ ” his big furry uncle cried happily in Shryiiwook. Big arms opened and came towards Ben like a wall of fur and joy. “ _We’ve missed you!_ ”

The hug was crushing, and Ben found himself transported back to his childhood. The scent of Uncle Chewie’s fur, musky usually, and sometimes fruity when he accidentally used Mother’s hair products. Chewie used to play with Ben, and even though the young man usually lumped the Wookie in with his father, truth be told, Ben had more or less good memories of him. Chewie had never seemed to fear Ben’s connection to the Force. In fact, he remembered Chewie once telling his twelve-year-old self that it didn’t matter how powerful Ben was. He was family. 

So, it was no problem for Ben to hug the Wookie back. With a happy roar, Chewie let go, and stepped back. Han had not moved, but something was going on behind his eyes. When he stepped forward, Ben had to fight the urge to take a step back. Too many times had young Ben seen fear in his father’s eyes. Too many times had he seen his father walk out whenever he and Ben’s mother had a fight. “Ben,” Han said softly. “The _Falcon_ is one thing, but . . . what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Ben said stiffly. 

Han looked like he was about to shoot back with something angry, but Chewie grunted at him. Han glanced over at his best friend, and then back at Ben. “I’m here on behalf of your mother. Seems the Resistance lost a pilot. I saw the Falcon and had to get her back.”

“How did you lose her in the first place?” Ben asked dismissively, even though the part of him that was still five was achingly curious about the fact that Mommy and Daddy were apparently working together. 

“She was stolen,” Han answered. 

“Is that why you’re hanging around Mother more?” Ben sniped. 

Han’s face was distinctly thunderous, but Chewie broke in. “ _Maybe talk about this later?_ ”

The two men glanced back at the three people following the conversation back and forth. Finn and Poe looked distinctly uncomfortable, but Rey looked angry. It didn’t take much to realize that she was angry at him. Ben sighed, and turned from his father. “We need to contact Papa Ani. He’ll come pick us up. That way Han can take the Falcon on her merry way.”

“Now hold on a minute!” Han snapped. “I came for a pilot, and I’m taking that pilot with me, and now that I have finally gotten a hold of you –“

Ben, already stretched to his limit by the past twelve hours finally snapped. “Finally what?” he bellowed. “Finally gotten a hold of me?! If you’d really wanted to you could have found me any time you wanted to! Don’t act like I’m the one that’s hard to find!”

“Yes you are!” Han shouted back. “You haven’t spoken to either your mother or me in years! And do you think your grandfather ever says a damn thing to us either? For all your mother and I’ve known over the past ten years is that you were dead somewhere!”

The thread of true fear was impossible to deny. Ben heard it loud and clear, and the part of him that still loved his parents was hurt. “I’ll call Papa Ani to come pick us up,” was all he said as he turned and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks again for the comments and kudos!
> 
> And now we meet the first of my vision of the Knights of Ren! Inquis Ren is based off of the concept art of the Knights as found on the Star Wars Wiki, and kind of taking Kylo Ren's place in the narrative for the moment. He'll be showing up more later.


	6. Han

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AKA Ben and the Even Worse, No Good, Terrible, Horrible, Bad Day. 
> 
> Well, except for the whole forgiving-his-dad thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the kudos and comments have been amazing! Just a blanket thing, yes, you all may call him Papa Ani! That's what he is in my head anyway. And I'm so glad you are all enjoying my little AU!

Rey found herself fiddling with the compressor that Unkar Plutt had installed rather than sit awkwardly out in the common area. Poe and Finn were out there, learning how to play the strange game that Chewie seemed to like on the holo-board. Han had gone back to the larger freighter, talking to some of his crew about where to take the craft, and such. Ben had shut himself inside one of the smaller rooms off the main area, and she was currently also fighting the urge to go see him. 

Rey was most certainly not used to this sort of situation. She was a loner by circumstance, and just being around this many people that she liked was strange in the extreme. On top of that, she couldn’t stand the tension. Everyone was strung as tight as a wire, and she was close to snapping. Finally, she pulled the wires she needed, and realized that now she had nothing left to do. 

That was when she decided to go do something. 

She strode out into the common room, eliciting a couple of curious looks from Poe and Finn. They watched her as she approached the room Ben had disappeared into. She stopped for a moment, and then keyed the door open. Rey half expected it not to open, but to her amazement the door slid open with a near silent whoosh. She stepped in, and found herself in a small bedroom. There were pictures on the walls, of people and fanciful pictures as drawn by a young child. A battered stuffed animal lay on the bed, and there sat Ben. He was staring at the wall, and she followed his eyes to a picture of Han holding up a tiny version of Ben. 

“Poe’s right,” she said, “Between the eyes and the hair you’re hard to miss.”

The man didn’t answer, and Rey felt a bit awkward. She stared at him for a few moments, and then her annoyance crept back in. “I don’t understand you,” she finally said. “Your parents are right there and yet you will have nothing to do with them.”

“They left me first,” Ben gritted out. 

“How? How did that old man out there leave you?” Rey replied in an acid tone.

She realized almost instantaneously that Ben’s temper had snapped. “He was never there! I needed my father, and he was half way across the galaxy doing Force knows what! He was afraid of me! And my mother!” He stopped and snorted. “At least she tried.”

The scavenger girl didn’t know what to say, but Ben apparently wasn’t done. “Yes, I’ve known where I could find my mother this entire time, but I never went back because I spent half of my childhood feeling unwanted. At least your parents did it quick and clean!”

Rey felt all the air leave her lungs. “My parents are coming back for me!” she snapped. 

Ben’s eyes finally met hers. His were luminous with unshed tears. “It’s been fourteen years! And why would they leave you on Jakku! In a cesspit with scoundrels!”

Tears began to spill over her cheeks. “They’re coming back!” she cried through clenched teeth. 

Ben seemed fixated on her tears. He stood and took a step towards her, horror overtaking his face. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” she gasped. “ _Sorry?_ Sorry about attacking someone that was just trying to help you? Sorry for telling me I’m unwanted?! Throwing all the horrible thoughts that I sometimes think when I’m nursing a sunburn or so hungry I can’t think any more? What do you know about loneliness? _What do you know about pain?!_ ”

“I shouldn’t have said that,” he said softly.

“No, you shouldn’t,” she agreed, “But it you want to make it up to me, go talk to Han without your ass on your shoulders!” She couldn’t help the distinct stomp of her step as she strode out of Ben’s room and back to the bridge.  
~~  
Ben was still sitting in his room a few minutes later when the door opened again. He glanced up, unsure if he could deal with another encounter with Rey. Her words had dug deep, and even though he wanted to shoot back with his own troubles, he ultimately realized that she had a point. Even at his lowest, he always had Papa Ani. He’d always had enough to eat and drink. However, it was his father walking into the room. 

The first thing Ben noticed was the lack of swagger in her walk. His father had always had an arrogant gait, but here he was hunched slightly, as if he were . . . afraid. Resentment flared, but he remembered Rey’s admonishment to not use his ass for a hat. “Yes?”

“I . . . I wanted to talk to you in private,” Han began, his voice hesitant. He paused, and Ben waited expectantly. “Your mom said that you could look inside my mind.”

“Yes?”

There was a deep breath. “I want you to do it. I want you to look in my head.”

Ben blinked, stunned. “You want me to look in your head?”

“Yeah,” Han said waving a hand, “Do your thing, kid.”

Kid. He hadn’t been called that in ages. “Why?”

His father sighed. “Just do it, please.”

It was the “please” that did it. Without stopping to contemplate whether he should, Ben held up a hand, and pushed into his father’s mind. He kept his touch gentle, and found himself living several of his father’s memories about him.  
~~

_He looks down at his son, his son with his curly dark hair and big dark eyes. He’s so afraid that he’ll do something wrong, make some misstep. His son’s a powerful Force-sensitive. How does he protect his baby from something he can’t see? He doesn’t want his baby boy to turn out like Vader. What if Han does something wrong and he becomes like Vader?_

_Maybe he should just leave, go back to what he’s good at._

~~  
_He looks into Leia’s beautiful eyes. Their son’s eyes. He hasn’t seen her in several years, but it’s good to see her. He loves her so much, and his last close call was much too close. He smiles jauntily, and asks, “Did you miss me?”_

_Usually she would have some witty comeback, but this time she just walks into his arms. He hugs her, and kisses her hair. “Leia,” he murmurs._

_“Han, I’ve missed you. I’ve missed Ben. Hell, I’ve even missed my father.”_

~~  
_“And you’re going to try the Kessel Run, and I’ll teach you how to really get the speed out of her.”_

_“Han, he’s two days old,” Leia says from the co-pilot’s seat. ___

_“So?” he replied with a laugh, love swelling for this baby that lay in his arms. “Never too early to learn!” Another swell of love swept over him as he heard her throaty laugh._

_He loved his wife. He loved his son. He loved them more than smuggling and the Falcon. They were his everything_.  
~~  
_Every memory is the same. Love for his son, fear that he would fail as a father, fear that he was a failure as a husband._

_Han Solo had never been afraid of his son. He’d been afraid_ for _his son_. 

_Afraid of his own failure._

_He distanced himself, sure that he would ruin everything. Sure that his boy didn’t need him, a washed up smuggler who didn’t have an ounce of Force-sensitivity, who couldn’t do a damned thing for his baby boy._

__~~  
Ben could feel the tears running down his cheek. None of what he saw was guile or lies. It was all truth. His father loved him, and the knowledge almost broke the young man. He’d lived so many years, certain in his father’s apathy, only to find the direct opposite – and the whole thing was so quintessentially Han. He was running from himself, not Ben. “You’re an idiot,” Ben rasped._ _

__“Yeah,” Han replied in a choked tone of voice. “I am a complete moron. Dolt. Moof-miliking imbecile. Keep up Ben, your mother has you beat.”_ _

__Something about that sent Ben into a shout of laughter, and the two men laughed. Ben got up from the bed and approached his father. The two shared a look before the younger man all but tackled his father. The hug was fierce and warm, and Ben let his tears flow onto his father’s jacket. “Daddy,” he breathed._ _

__Another short laugh was wrenched from Han’s throat. “I haven’t been called that in years.”_ _

__The embrace lasted for another few moments before Ben reluctantly disengaged from his father. Father and son took a moment to wipe away tears, before Han put his hands in his pockets. “So, where we going?”_ _

__Ben blinked. “We?”_ _

__“You think I finally get my son back to let him go wander off by himself? You’ll have to peel me off until we get back to D’Qar and see your mother!”_ _

__The younger man nodded, a small smile forming. “I’ll tell Papa Ani the change in plans . . . Dad.”_ _

__Han’s smile was huge. He clapped his son on the shoulder. “Come on then, let’s go hope your scavenger girl hasn’t completely rewired the ship.”_ _

__Ben blinked. “We need to head to the house up in the Lake Country.”_ _

__“What? Where are we going?” Han asked, poised at the door of the room._ _

__“Flowers. She had a flower on her table. The roses will be in bloom.”_ _

__Han finally caught up to the conversational gear change. “Oh! Oh, your scavenger girl. You, ah, say something she didn’t like? She was on the mother of all warpaths when she found me out in the docking bay.”_ _

__“Yeah, I said something stupid,” Ben admitted with a wince. “I hurt her.”_ _

__“Aaaaaaand you like her,” Han said with an amused look._ _

__“ . . . Yeah.”_ _

Han smiled softly. “Don’t worry, Lake Country it is. But the question still remains, which planet’s Lake Country are we going to?”  
~~  
Rey was still angry fiddling with a stubborn bit of wiring under the smuggling panel when the door to Ben’s room opened up. Han and Ben stepped out, and Rey studiously kept her head down, not wanting to look at the two men. She was still painfully angry at Ben for what he’d said. 

_But you’ve had those thoughts for years._

__She angrily wiped away a tear. She had, over the years, entertained the thought that her parents had left her because they didn’t want her. Left her with the rest of the trash of Jakku because they were not merciful enough to just kill her. But then, she would remember a fleeting image of her mother’s smile, warm and bright, and the knowledge would bloom that she was loved. She had been left on Jakku because her mother had no choice._ _

__A foot step right by her head had her lifting it to meet Finn’s deep brown eyes. “We’re about to leave.”_ _

__“Okay,” she replied, and held out a hand to him. He helped her up, and she smiled at him and Poe. They had seen her tears after the incident in Ben’s room and had offered to punch him for her. Her acidic reply had been that she could do it herself, but she still appreciated the thought. Chewie had glared at the door, and now she saw that he was looming over Ben._ _

__“ _Why did you make her cry_?” Chewie asked indignantly, and Rey realized that none of the others knew that she could understand Shryiiwook. _ _

__“I said something stupid,” Ben replied softly. “I’m going to make it up to her.”_ _

__“ _How?_ ”_ _

__Ben glanced back at her, his eyes skimming over hers before quickly looking away. He shouldered past the now less militant Wookie and headed into the bridge. Rey followed, wondering if he’d need a co-pilot. What she found made her blink. Han and Ben were sitting in pilot and co-pilot seat, and were running through the start up procedures. Ben stilled his father’s hand and said, “Let the fuel pump prime.”_ _

__“What? What fuel pump? Han said irritably. “We never had a fuel pump on this ship.”_ _

__“Blame Unkar Plutt,” Rey piped up._ _

“One day I’m gonna –“ The rest of the threat was cut off as Ben flicked on the communications array. “This Ben for the _Naberrie’s Saber_.” 

“ _Millennium Falcon_ , this is _Naberrie’s Saber_. Is there a change of plans?” 

__“I hate when you do that Papa Ani,” Ben growled, “But yes, change of plans. Dad and Uncle Chewie are coming with us to Naboo. I want to go to the Lake Country house.”_ _

__“Why would you . . . Oh. Never mind.” The voice on the other side sounded distinctly amused. “I’ll send our flight plan in to Theed. See you there, Little Knight.”_ _

__Han breathed deeply, and said, “Anakin.”_ _

__The other side crackled a bit before there was a distinct, “Yes?”_ _

__“Thank you.”_ _

__“Thanks are not needed, Han. I have destroyed empires to protect my loved ones. I will continue to do so.” There was a small chuckle. “And you must know that you are one of that number. I will see you on Naboo.”_ _


	7. Naboo's Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey, Finn, and Poe meet their first queen.

Rey spent the journey to Naboo sitting in the third seat of the bridge area. Chewie sat on the other side behind Ben, and Poe and Finn sat back in the common area, talking animatedly. It sounded like Poe was recounting some tales of daring-do. Rey was still irritated with Ben, but watching him with his father, she realized something had changed between them. Ben was not nearly so sullen, and Han seemed to shine a bit brighter with happiness. In fact, Ben seemed hesitant rather than standoffish, and Han seemed to be humming with joy. 

“Ah, I’ve missed this old bird,” Han said. 

“I’ve missed her too,” Ben agreed. “You left Wicket right were I left him.”

Han looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Well, yeah, what am I going to do with a stuffed ewok?”

The conversation pretty much kept that tenor – Ben would ask a question pertaining to the ship or to his father’s life lately, and Han would either answer with his own tales of daring-do, or give a smart comeback. There was really no in between. Rey found herself enjoying the conversation, especially Chewie’s regular interjections that questioned everything from Han’s motives to his choice in clothing. Han and Ben did have an air of awkwardness about them, but they soldiered on in spite of it. Sometime during the flight everyone took some time to sleep – it would be several hours to Naboo, and Rey did do one stint of flying with Chewbacca as the copilot. That was when she finally came clean about understanding Shryiiwook. Han and Ben eventually took back over, just in time to arrive at their destination. 

They came out of hyperspace above a planet that looked like a green and blue ball. Rey felt the breath whoosh from her as she stared at it. As they grew closer, she couldn’t believe that there would be so much color in the galaxy. She barely noticed how Ben and Han were carefully watching the ship’s instruments, hoping that the Falcon could make a heavy-air landing without getting damaged. Instead her eyes were glued to the wonderful greens and blues that were now taking up most of her field of vision. “This is Naboo ground control to light freighter incoming over restricted space,” a voice said through the comms.

“Naboo ground control, this is _Millennium Falcon_. We put in a flight request for landing in Lake Country,” Han replied.

“Access is restricted to all ships at this time. You have to come through Theed.”

Ben held up a hand to his father, who gestured for him to deal with it. “Naboo ground control, this is Ben Skywalker of House Naberrie. I should have permissions to go into even restricted zones. I have my father, Han Solo, with me as well as Chewbacca of the Wookie, and three friends. They are Rey of Jakku, Finn Skywalker, and Poe Dameron.”

There was a pause, and then a different voice answered. “Our apologies sir, but you understand our caution. Please, land as you will. And we welcome your guests to Naboo.”

Rey glanced from Ben to Han and couldn’t help but smile at Han’s “not bad” face. “Smooth talking kid. But what’s this about being of House Naberrie?”

“Grandmother Padme was of that House. When Papa Ani and I came here years ago, he reached out to the surviving members. They adopted us into the House. You, Mom, and Uncle Luke are also members,” Ben answered. “Papa Ani insisted.”

“Humph,” was all Han said.

Their flight path took them over country that Rey had only imagined in all of her years on Jakku. There were huge waterfalls surrounding a valley of green. “I never imagined there was this much green in all the galaxy,” she breathed.

Han glanced back at her, looked over at his son, and made a “not bad” face. “Okay, Lake Country,” he murmured. 

They set down next to Anakin’s ship, which Rey now knew as the _Naberrie Saber_. Anakin was standing over on the other side of the landing pad, an area of artfully sculpted stone. Rey could see that it created a pattern, but couldn’t tell what it was from her position. The two men at the controls set the ship down expertly, and she didn’t catch their relieved sighs. Instead, she was already out of her seat and headed for the ramp. She was out just as the ship touched down fully. She didn’t even notice the group of people that waited beside Papa Ani.

Her eyes were locked on the bed of flowers. They were a riot of green and blue, and Rey loved blue. The blue was deep and rich, and she reached out and fingered the blooms. The petals were velvety between her fingers. The soft scent was sweet and woodsy. So enthralled was she that she didn’t even notice the people walking up behind her. “You act like you’ve never seen flowers before,” a feminine voice asked from behind her.

Rey startled and whipped around to find a woman dressed in ornate robes standing at her back. The woman’s face was hauntingly familiar – painted white with eyes that were lined in deep black. Her lips were painted in blood red and pure white, the top lip solid red and the bottom white with a single stripe of red. Her eyes were a clear blue that matched the flowers Rey had been admiring. The woman smiled. “Is this your first time on Naboo?”

“Yes,” Rey answered, “It is. I’ve . . . I’ve just never been somewhere where there’s so much green.”

The woman laughed, a tinkling sound that carried. She turned back to the others and called out, “Really? Another desert child come on an adventure?”

“I resemble that remark!” Papa Ani called back. 

The woman turned back to her and held out both of her hands. Rey couldn’t help but notice the fine needlework around the hems of the woman’s sleeves. The outfit she wore was a stunning blue and black creation with gold embroidery spidering up the sides. Her hair was done up in a dramatic up do, golden headpieces giving it the illusion of size and heft. For a moment Rey hesitated, not wanting to get the woman’s clothes dirty, but something brushed against her awareness. It felt warm and accepting, and Rey finally took the offered hands. She marveled at how soft they were in her own work roughened ones. “I am Genevra Sondai. It is a pleasure to meet you, Desert Girl.”

“I . . . I’m Rey.”

Genevra smiled, “So you are the Rey of Jakku Ben mentioned?”

“I guess.” She glanced up at them. Papa Ani and Ben were talking quietly, while Finn and Poe were staring at them. Poe looked a bit shell-shocked and Finn had a queer look on his face. Han and Chewie seemed unconcerned with anything but the Falcon. 

Genevra gently drew one of Rey’s hands around her elbow until they were arm and arm. “Well, Rey of Jakku, come introduce me to the others in your little band.” They walked back over, and Rey marveled that such an elegant woman would be treating her so kindly. 

“Who are these two strapping young men?” Genevra asked, waving to Poe and Finn. 

Rey smiled at the two blushing like young boys. “This is Poe Dameron of the Resistance. And this is Finn.”

“Skywalker.”

All of them turned to Ben’s voice. The younger man shrugged. “Papa Ani said that he needed a last name, and we’re happy to share ours.”

Finn blinked several times before asking, “What?”

Papa Ani walked up and patted the younger man on the back. “We wanted to return something that the First Order had taken from you. It’s not much, and can easily be shed should we find your real family, but we are more than happy to share the Skywalker name with you.”

Han heard this and added, “So does this mean Ben will take back the name I gave him?”

An awkward silence reigned as father and son regarded each other. They didn’t seem angry, from what Rey could tell, but there was some sort of struggle going on here. She realized that somewhere along the line, somehow, the two had made up, but she also realized that they still had a few things to work out. Ben nodded a bit and said, “Consider it a gift from me to you, Finn. You be the Skywalker. It’s time for me to be a Solo again.”

There was a loud squeal from beside Rey, and the girl was nearly knocked on her butt by the heavy skirts of the woman who a moment before had been standing beside her. “Ben! I’m so glad you’ve finally made up! Ieee!”

Genevra hugged Ben tight, giving him a kiss on the cheek that nearly sent the man reeling. She then whirled over to give Han a kiss as well as Finn. “Welcome! Welcome all of you!” she cried gleefully. She turned to one of the important looking men at the side of the landing pad who wore a face of indulgence. “Gammon! Could you please call my father; I wish to speak to him about adopting another into our house!”

“The young lady or the young man?” Gammon said patiently. 

She turned back and looked at the small group of now very confused people on the landing pad. Granted, neither Papa Ani nor Ben were all that confused as they were used to Genevra’s ways. Genevra eyed Rey for a moment before shaking her head. 

“Just the young man Gammon,” Genevra said airily. Her megawatt smile was turned back to her guests. “Now, come! Come! I must get to know all of you! Especially you, Rey, I don’t have any female friends my age!” Genevra took Rey and Finn in arms and began sailing towards the large house in the distance.

“Your Majesty,” Gammon called out.

“Yes?”

“Perhaps you should have introduced yourself?”

Genevra stopped and laughed. “I am such a twit! I can’t believe myself sometimes!” 

Ben snorted, “Rey of Jakku, Finn Skywalker, Poe Dameron, Han Solo, and Chewbacca, meet Queen Genevra Sondai of Naboo.”

~~  
Ben looked out over the gentle waters of the nearby lake with a sense of unreality. In the past twelve hours he’d run from the First Order, discovered the key to finding his uncle, utterly alienated the woman who’d featured in his fantasies for years, made up with his father, and adopted a brother. Genevra had run off with Rey as soon as they’d gotten to the house, so he wasn’t too sure what they were up to. Poe and Finn had been given rooms next to his, and Papa Ani was in conversation with Han. 

A soft knock sounded on his door, and Ben rose to open it. On the other side he found Finn. The young man looked a little lost and still shocked. “Come in,” Ben said, sensing that Finn needed to talk.

“Uh, yeah, about me being a, you know, Skywalker- “

“Finn,” Ben said.

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever heard of Darth Vader?”

It was a little amazing how much his skin paled. His eyes were wide and terrified. “Yeah. They used to show us propaganda vids from the days of the Empire. He always . . . He always scared me.”

Ben smiled a little bit. “Can I tell you a story?”

“Okay,” Finn answered gingerly, unsure if he wanted to hear this tale.

“Once upon a time, there was a powerful Force-sensitive. He was training as a Jedi, but he broke one of their rules – he fell in love. So, being an arrogant man, he married his beloved in secret. He served the Jedi with distinction, but had an unfortunate connection to Senator Sheev Palpatine. Palpatine managed to twist the young Jedi just enough that when a Force vision showed him the death of his wife and children, he vowed to do anything he could to stop it.”

“And that only made it come true,” Finn breathed, his eyes huge. The younger man was entranced with the story. 

“Yes. So the young Jedi wiped out the other Jedi and fought his former master. He was severely injured and Palpatine’s doctors had to cobble him back together into a life support suit. Meanwhile, his wife gave birth to twins, but died after their birth. His twins were given to two different families to raise, and Palpatine told him that his children died with their mother. So, the young Jedi turned Sith served the Empire for years before he met a young Force-sensitive Rebel.”

“His son,” Finn put forth.

“Daughter actually,” Ben said with a smile. “But he soon met his son, and when he found out that these two Rebels were his children, it was the end of his blind loyalty. When Palpatine ordered him to fight his children, to destroy his powerful son, he refused. It was Darth Vader who killed Emperor Palpatine, not Luke Skywalker. And then Darth Vader died, so that the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker could be born again.”

Finn’s jaw dropped, and he was silent for a moment before whispering, “ _Papa Ani is Darth Vader_?”

“Was,” Ben said, “And that’s why he wanted to give you the Skywalker name. Without the Empire that he’d helped build, there would be no First Order. You would have never been ripped from your family.”

Finn looked down at his hands, and Ben could see the slight sheen of tears. “Thank you,” Finn said. 

Ben could feel his fear, but something else was growing – pride. “I like you, Ben. I like you, and Poe, and Rey, and Papa Ani, and I think I’m starting to like Han and Chewie. I haven’t . . . They didn’t really let us like anyone. We were supposed to be devoted to nothing but the First Order, and openly being friends with each other was . . . not done. In that village on Jakku, I lost a friend. I couldn’t actually mention to anyone that he was my friend because I wasn’t supposed to have them. I should have no preference for who I work with, who I fight with.”

He stopped, his eyes far away, and Ben could feel the loss, and the anger. “JN-4783 was my friend, and I couldn’t ever tell him that. But I can tell you guys. And here I am, a Stormtrooper that couldn’t even have friends, and now I have two friends who gave me my name.” He stopped, looking slightly panicked. “That is, if you don’t mind being my friend- “

“Finn,” Ben said, putting a hand on his shoulder, “In my head, you have Papa Ani’s last name. You’re not just a friend, you’re family. It’s why Genevra is adopting you into House Naberrie.”

A tear finally spilled down the younger man’s cheek. “Why are you okay with this?”

“Because I very nearly became seduced by the Dark Side. Papa Ani saved me, and now it’s time to save you.” Ben gave Finn a smile. “Though you’ve been doing pretty good on your own.” 

“Thanks,” Finn said. “After JN-4783 died . . . And seeing the people of the village slaughtered . . . I couldn’t be a part of that any more. Even if it was all I’d ever known.”

Ben considered the man before him, feeling around his edges. Finn was a Force-sensitive, and pretty strong at that. Not as powerful as Ben, and potentially Rey, but strong nonetheless. “Close your eyes.”

Finn did so without protest, and Ben smiled a bit. “Now, can you feel that humming? That tickling sensation just under and above your skin? A warmth? A light all around you?”

“Yeah, yeah I can.” Finn was smiling. “What is it?”

“It’s the Force.” He gave the younger man a huge grin. “You’re Force-sensitive.”

Finn’s dark eyes flew open. “Really?! I am?!” he cried eagerly. 

“Yes, and if you like, I can teach you how to harness it,” Ben offered. 

“That would be awesome!” Finn whooped, and in his excitement he caught Ben up in a hug. “Thank you! Thank you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks so much for all the kudos and comments! It makes me so happy that so many people are enjoying this little AU of mine. 
> 
> Genevra is so much fun to write. She was actually the one OC I decided would take a major role - mostly because she makes the perfect wild card. I hope you guys enjoy her too!


	8. In the Gardens of Naboo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AKA Fluff the Chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks for all the comments and kudos! In return, have a fluffy little chapter that simply exists for shenanigans.

Rey still couldn’t believe the turn of events that led her to being served delicious tea in a beautiful garden with a queen. The chair she sat in was a delicate construction of some sort of hardened plant fiber, and the table was decorated with ornate patterns. They were surrounded by flowers of many different hues, and Rey could barely keep her eyes off of them. Genevra was positively glowing at the chance to get to know a woman that was her own age and not interested in politics. “So, Rey, tell me a bit about yourself.”

“Well, I don’t know much about my parents. They left me on Jakku fourteen years ago. They said they’d be back for me,” she began, “I’ve been a scavenger for most of my life. I am . . . no one.”

She half expected Genevra to be disgusted with her, but the other woman merely nodded. “A hard life, but I can see it’s made you strong.”

“I . . . guess.”

“So, what did you do when you weren’t working?” the queen asked, pouring another cup of tea. Her handmaidens sat off to the side of them, a very different bouquet of flowers from the ones on the stems. They were doing myriad little things with their hands. One Rey could see was painting. 

“I had a simulator, and I built things. My little red speeder bike was something I built all by myself. I found the parts and everything.” Rey glowed with her pride. 

“Really? I have never really been very good at making things,” Genevra replied. “I’m much better at getting people to play nice with one another.”

Rey smiled happily. “Well, that must be what makes you a good queen.”

The other woman glowed, and then her eyes turned serious. “Rey, why are you with Anakin and Ben? And don’t lie to me – I will know.”

She frowned, but the look in the Queen’s eye brooked no dissent. Further, she was a Naberrie, family to Ben and Anakin. She must be trustworthy, or else they wouldn’t be here. “I’m helping them find Luke Skywalker.”

“Throwing in your lot with the Resistance?”

“Yes,” she answered, thinking that Genevra sounded an awful lot like Unkar Plutt for a moment. “Ben and Anakin have been good to me.”

This caused a smile to grace her face. “Ben especially?”

“Well, I, uh,” Rey said around a blush. 

“He is quite handsome, yes? And so sweet?” Genevra pressed. “Has he told you about his stuffed ewok?”

Rey had been drowning in her embarrassment until the mention of a stuffed toy. “No.”

“Ask him about Wicket.” Genevra took a sip of her drink. “It’ll be the most adorable five minutes of your life.”

That caught Rey unawares, and she burst into laughter. Their conversation veered away from Ben, and they found themselves discussing myriad things. Genevra was explaining to Rey the fine points of Naboo politics when they saw Ben and Finn walk into the gardens. Rey waved, and Genevra called, “Hello!”

Ben raised a hand in return, and Finn looked shyly at them. He said something to Ben, and then walked over. When he got to the table, he bowed to Genevra. “I, um, wanted to thank you for adopting me.”

“It really is no trouble,” Genevra breathed. “My dearest cousin has adopted you! Of course I will claim you as well!”

“Cousin?!” Rey and Finn chorused.

“Yes,” the queen said calmly. “Anakin’s wife Padme was my great-aunt. What are you doing out here Finn?”

“Oh, Ben’s going to teach me how to handle a lightsaber. He says I’m Force-sensitive.” Finn puffed up with pride.

The queen laughed. “Appropriate. It runs in the line of House Naberrie.” To demonstrate, she called a scone to her hand.

Rey felt a little jealous. “May I learn too?”

Ben had finally approached, and hearing this, he nodded. “Of course,” he said, even though he was patently saying it to Genevra’s face, not Rey’s. 

Rey popped up with a small smile, and followed Ben and Finn back to a large open lawn. Genevra was carrying her tea, and her ladies were quickly moving the serving table so that she could watch the proceedings. Poe and Anakin had also made an appearance. “What are you guys doing?” Poe asked. BB-8 chirped in agreement. 

“About to run some lightsaber drills. Want to join us?” Finn asked. His enthusiasm was infectious, and Rey felt her smile grow. 

Poe shook his head. “Nah, I’m not interested.”

Rey saw Ben’s eyebrow cock. “Oh really?”

“Yeah,” Poe said dismissively. 

Ben looked at Anakin, and mischief flitted across his face. “Poe, you want to join us in drilling.”

Poe nodded. “I want to join you in drilling.” BB-8 beeped a question at him, but Poe completely ignored him. When he walked down to grass, a look of confusion crossed his face. “You rat.”

Ben smiled brightly, and Rey found herself unable to look away. “Come on, I’m going to need a partner for Finn anyway.”

“Pain in the ass Jedi,” Poe muttered.

“Pain in the ass pilot,” Ben shot back. BB-8 gave a droid’s version of a snicker.

Poe grinned and fell into line on the other side of Finn. “Alright, how we doing this?”

~~  
Anakin watched Ben instruct his three pupils with a beatific smile. His grandson was not doing a bad job teaching the basic foot work of several easy forms. He had lost his reticence to talk to Rey, and Poe had lost his attitude. Finn was grinning and all too happy to receive direction from Ben. “He was made to command others,” Genevra piped up. 

“His grandmother shines through,” Anakin murmured. 

“I seem to remember you being pretty commanding yourself,” Han said from behind them. Both Anakin and the Queen turned to face him. He looked a little worse for wear, and had a frown. “The _Falcon_ needs a complete overhaul. It’ll be at least a week.”

Anakin frowned around his mask. The _Saber_ was equipped for two, but could fit four easily. However, that left a good chunk of their party out. He was loath to leave the majority of their small band out since the path would only get more difficult from here. They would need everyone – the tech savvy of the scavenger girl and the smuggler hero, the fighting skills of the Wookie, the Stormtrooper, and the Jedi, and the piloting skills of the ace and himself. Plus, he had called on his most precious friend to help as well. The _Falcon_ had to be fixed before they moved on. However, there was no guarantee that the First Order didn’t already know they were here. 

“I can help with that,” Genevra said calmly. “We can have experts on it around the clock, and we’ll get you the finest parts. We’ll have your baby up and running in no time.”

Han looked a little surprised at the help. “Thanks, Your Majesty.” 

“You are family! It is nothing,” she said. She turned back to the sketchbook one of her hand maidens had fetched for her. Anakin walked over, and glanced at it with curiosity. Four figures were taking shape, in pairs. The first two quickly morphed into Finn and Poe as they stood side by side. They were dressed in similar costume, simple pants tucked into their boots and sleeveless shirts. Both held lightsabers, single blades held up to the sky. An X-wing took shape next to Poe, and Finn’s other hand held a blaster. The other two were in a dynamic pose, the female figure facing out, the male standing with his head facing the side. The female carried a double-bladed saber, caught in the act of twirling, and the male carried a blade that had a unique cross-guard. The girl was wearing a mask similar to the Queen’s mask under a hood, and the boy was wearing a version of his old mask. 

When she reached for her colored pencils, the four figures became even more life like. Poe and Finn looked confident and powerful in their self-assured pose. Poe was done in white and bright orange with splashes of red, while Finn was dressed in brown, orange, and hints of white. The boy and the girl were monochrome black and white, with the only color being the markings of the girl’s mask. Anakin didn’t need to be told what Genevra was imagining. “Force or flight of fancy?” he asked softly.

The Queen shot him a smile. “I don’t know. I just think that Ben and Rey will make a cute couple.” She leaned down and let BB-8 see the picture, and the little droid whirred in pleasure. 

“Will?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but Ben is sweet on her, correct?” Genevra replied. “She is a sweetheart.”

“Oh, he’s smitten with her alright,” Han cut in, hands in his pockets beside Anakin. The older man gave him a look, but couldn’t help a small grin at the nonchalant way Han scooped up a cookie. “The entire reason he insisted on coming here was because he wanted to show her the flowers.”

Genevra giggled. “Good! And Han, take a seat! My table is yours!”

Han didn’t need telling twice, and Anakin glanced back up at his grandsons – blood and newly adopted. If he had not been familiar with training techniques, it would have almost looked like some strange dance. Finn and Poe were working on footwork, Poe advancing and retreating with Finn mirroring him. Rey and Ben were doing the same thing, but while Finn looked earnestly serious, Rey’s face was full of joy. She was looking at Ben’s face, and the young man was finally keeping his eyes up. He was giving her a small smile of his own. They continued on before the four took a break.

Genevra stood up and stretched. “I feel like some swimming.”

“I will prepare your bathing costume,” one of her ladies murmured demurely. 

“A swim sounds good,” Poe said, “But I don’t have any trunks.”

“That is no problem.” Genevra looked to Finn and Rey. “Do you know how to swim?”

“I do,” Finn replied. “It was considered a useful skill.” He left it unsaid who exactly considered it a useful skill.

Rey bit her lip. “I could try. I used to know . . . but it’s been fourteen years.”

Genevra patted her hand. “We can start in the shallows. Now come, I have a swimming costume that would be perfect for you!”  
~~  
The men were back to the lake side before the ladies, but Ben wasn’t particularly surprised. He looked over the dock, and smiled at Finn’s whoop. The younger man launched himself off the edge and slapped into the water. Poe was already in, but he was laughing. “Ben,” he called, “You coming in?”

“No,” he said. He glanced down at his short tunic and black pants. His tunic was sleeveless, and he was sans boots, but that was all that he was willing to concede to the occasion. 

“But the water is great!” Finn piped up, floating on his back. Poe took that opportunity to dunk the younger man, and soon a full on water war was being waged at Ben’s feet. He shook his head and rolled his eyes at their antics. He also suddenly felt like he was old, even though he knew for a fact that Poe was a few years older than he was. 

“Ben! Where is your swimming costume?” 

He turned to Genevra who wore the current fashion in swim wear on Naboo. The suit was one piece, a bright yellow that complemented her skin tone. The top was a halter style that demurely hid her breasts while it was only connected to the bottom by a thin strip of material down the front, over her belly. The bottoms ended in short pants that went to her mid-thighs. The cut away sides were decorated with beaded strands that went from the strip in the front to the back, attaching to the breast band. The Queen of Naboo’s stride was marked with the twinkling of the beads like little glass bells. Her face was makeup free, and her dark hair was loose down her back. “Ben, you must come swimming!”

“I-“ he began, but stopped when he saw Rey. Behind him, he heard Finn’s small “whoa” and Poe’s pleased whistle. 

Rey was dressed in a bright green suit not dissimilar to Genevra’s, except hers was without the beading. What it did do was show off Rey’s lean frame that was roped with just the right balance of muscle and curves. Her hair was still up in its customary buns, and she was smiling at them. “Are you guys going to help me relearn how to do this?” she asked, walking up to Ben. 

It was at that precise moment that he regretted not getting his swimsuit. 

“Yeah, come on in!” Finn said, reaching up to her. Rey got into the water slowly, sitting on the dock first and then easing into the water. Finn and Poe stayed close, with Ben hovering above her, ready to grab her should she become distressed. Rey held on to the dock for a moment, before letting go. She began treading water, jerkily at first, but smoothing out as she remembered the old, atrophied skill. She wasn’t a particularly strong swimmer after so many years, but she was good enough to not worry about while she was in the water. Ben would give Poe this one thing – the man stayed near her, and made sure that his and Finn’s play didn’t interfere with her. Genevra sat on the dock, trailing her feet and watching everything with a smile. 

Heavy steps heralded the arrival of Anakin and Chewie. “Where’s Dad?” Ben asked. 

Anakin’s smile was hidden by his casual mask – a simple affair of tinted plastic that looked much like his real face. The mask he’d worn when they’d met Rey had been his battle mask. “He is overseeing the repairs to the Falcon. He wasn’t so interested in swimming. Little BB-8 went with him.”

“Sounds like Dad,” Ben said. His eyes returned to watching Rey. Chewie roared in amusement. 

Finn pulled himself out, and smiled at Anakin. “Hey, Papa Ani.”

“Enjoying yourselves?” Ani asked, amusement in his tone.

“Yeah, especially getting to jump off the dock! I haven’t been able to do that since I was a cadet!” Finn’s grin was infectious.  
Genevra clapped her hands, her silvered nails shining in the sun. “Ben! Since you aren’t swimming would you mind?”

He rolled his eyes but said, “Sure.”

She squealed in delight and then ran to stand beside Finn at the beginning of the dock’s walkway. “Watch this!” she said to him in delight as she began to run towards the water. She leaped into the air right over Poe and Rey’s heads. Ben’s hand shot forwards, and he willed the Force to cradle and then propel her. To the others, it looked like Genevra had been shot out of an invisible cannon. She screamed in delight as she soared out into the middle of the lake, and she hit the water feet first.

“Whoa,” Finn said.

“And that, my children,” Papa Ani said, “Is a Force push. Back in the olden days, when the younglings and padawans would go swimming, it was permissible for them to play like that.”

“But I’ve seen the old vids,” Finn said, “Force pushes can kill.”

“It’s not the push itself that’s dangerous,” Ben replied, “It’s what the person lands on, and how hard they were pushed. If I had done that to someone standing in front of a tree or a wall, it’s possible they would break their back. Out here, the push won’t hurt you as long as you land properly, and if you don’t, the only thing you might come back with is a bruise.”

“It’s why they let us do it back in the day,” Papa Ani chuckled. “We could practice without really hurting one another.”

Finn scrunched up his nose. “Can you do that to me?”

“Sure,” Ben said. 

“I want to try!” Rey cried.

“Rey, I don’t know,” Poe said. “You’re just getting back into swimming. Being out in the middle of the lake might be a bit much for you.”

Poe earned a couple more points in Ben’s book. 

Rey looked downtrodden, but Finn piped up, “Let’s all three go! We can help her if she can’t handle it.”

“And Genevra’s already out there,” Rey pointed out. 

Poe nodded and hoisted himself out of the water. He went to help Rey, but Ben was there first. He grasped her hands, and felt a little shiver at the callouses on her palms. She gave him a brilliant smile as she let go of him and trotted over to Poe and Finn. The three took up positions at the head of the dock, and then began to run. Ben prepared to push the three of them. He stood at the point where the walkway and the boat landing area began, getting ready to do his thing when they reached the edge. Just before they reached him his grandfather murmured in his head. 

: _I’d start running if I were you_.:

Ben didn’t even think, he simply joined the other three, well aware of what Papa Ani was about to do. He’d been thrown off the dock from a standing position before, and it was unpleasant to say the least. It had been his punishment for doing the same to Genevra back when they were teens. Papa Ani was being nice by at least warning Ben about what he planned to do. Rey turned and gave Ben a look of confusion before they reached the edge and leaped into the open air. 

Then they were pushed, up and out in a technique that Papa Ani had perfected in his over seventy years of life. They sailed through the air, Poe and Finn whooping in absolute delight. Rey grabbed Ben’s hand, her own shrieks of delight mingling with his cry of “I’m going to get you Papa Ani!”

They hit not far from Genevra, Rey and Ben never relinquishing the other’s hand. They came up, all four of them laughing. “That was awesome!” Finn cried. 

“Yeah!” Poe agreed with a laugh. 

Rey was grinning at Ben, her eyes twinkling. “What made you decide to join us?”

“Had no choice,” Ben replied. “Papa Ani made it for me.”

Genevra called to them, “Come on guys! Let’s get back and do it again!” They all began to swim back, but Ben stayed close to Rey. Poe looked back once, and nodded to him. About half way back to the dock, Rey began to flag. She wasn’t swimming very efficiently, and even though she was strong, she was beginning to flag. 

“Rey,” Ben said. 

“Yes?”

He nodded to how he was using his arms and legs in sync to glide through the water. “Do it like this. It will be easier.”

She mimicked him, and they made it back to the dock. She pulled herself out of the water, and smiled down at him. “Thank you. Thank you for bringing me here.”

He returned her smile. “Do you like the flowers?”

Her eyes searched his, and her smile grew more radiant. “Ben?”

“Yes?”

“You’re forgiven.”


	9. Vader at the Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papa Ani's past comes back to kiss him on the mouth, and Han has the ugly realization that Leia chose someone just like her dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *throws original script into the air and speaks as sheets of paper fall about me* So, my overly romantic self could not resist giving Papa Ani a love interest since I have come to adore my version of his character. However, I will say that I am not particularly committed to any Anakin pairing in the first place and I've never seen Clone Wars or Rebels (Wookiepedia has been my friend), so if my characterization is off, or you dislike the pairing, my apologies. 
> 
> I also apologize for the long time between updates - IRL I've had a lot on my plate. I hope you enjoy this one last chapter before the plot returns with a vengeance. 
> 
> P.S. The "I was Vader at the time!" was inspired by a skit by Eddie Izzard where he lists an excuse for not being responsible for something as "I was dead at the time!" If you know the skit I speak of, imagine the line given with that delivery and have a good long laugh like I did.

Evening fell softly on Naboo. Rey sighed as she watched the gentle sun begin to fall in the distance. Her first day here had been full and eventful, and it wasn’t over yet. She glanced back around the ornately decorated room. The walls were a soft blue, the furniture dark woods that were beautifully carved and decorated. The bed was huge, and she had almost not wanted to touch it earlier for fear of getting the gorgeous coverlet dirty. However, she had already had a bath, and now, she let her hands trail over all the sumptuous fabrics and furnishings that populated her room. She was still in a robe, a servant having taken her clothes to be washed before they left for swimming. Genevra had told her on the way back from the lake that they would dress for dinner, and of course there was something in Genevra’s closet for Rey to wear. 

A knock sounded, and Rey called, “Come in.”

The same servant who had taken her clothes earlier entered with a gown that took Rey’s breath away. She turned her wide eyes to the servant and asked, “This is for me?”

“Yes, Her Majesty tells me this is to be your dress for the evening,” the servant answered, her blue eyes twinkling in pleasure. She laid it over the dress and then handed Rey a box. “Please put on these undergarments, and I will help you dress.”

Rey went into the ‘fresher and did as she was asked, and walked back out in the almost demure underwear and corset. The servant girl helped her into the gown, pulling it down over her head, and then helping her lace up the back. “What is your name?” Rey asked.

“Maira.”

“Well,” Rey said, “Thank you, Maira.”

“You are most welcome,” Maira replied. “Her Majesty tells me that you will look stunning with your hair down.”

Rey nodded, admiring herself in the mirror. The gown was white with black beading following the lines and seams. The neckline was a low sweetheart, the sleeves looking like they were barely attached. Black beads swirled up the arms so that it looked like she was still wearing her usual arm wraps. The bodice was close fitting until it hit her hips where it exploded out into an elegantly full skirt. Black beads separated bodice from skirt, and flowed up from the belly to the neckline in a burst pattern. The hem of the skirt had a line of black beads, and the skirt were peppered with glittering onyx. Looking at herself, she agreed with the queen. Her loose hair looked stunning around her face. 

The girl walked over to the door, and stopped when she heard voices outside of it. Curiostiy led her to peak out at the two females she could hear talking. One was Maira the servant, but the other was a Togruta. Rey had seen only a few of that race, but she was still in awe of the beautiful female that stood outside of her door. The female’s eyes turned to her, and she smiled brightly at the girl. “So you’re the one in my usual rooms.”

Rey opened the door up completely, and gave a small bow. “I’m Rey of Jakku,” she said, using the name that she was coming to be known by. 

“My name is Ahsoka Tano,” the Togruta replied. She returned Rey’s small bow. “I take it you are one of the Skyguys.”

“The what?” Rey asked. 

Ahsoka laughed. “It’s what I call Anakin and Ben, but after being told about the group that’s shown up today, I figured it fit for all of you.”

“Are you going to be joining us for dinner?” Rey asked, glancing towards the stairs. 

“Yes. Why don’t we walk together?” the older female replied, turning towards where Rey had just looked. “You can tell me about yourself while we walk.”

~~  
Finn was examining the portrait that dominated the dining room with a curious eye. The woman depicted was pretty, her brown hair done in an elaborate style and her dress was beautiful. Her face looked gentle and welcoming. “Who was she?” he asked Ben. 

The older man glanced up at her, and grinned. “That’s Grandmother Padme. She was a Queen of Naboo too.”

Finn looked up at the beautiful woman again, and then back at Ben. He was still a little overwhelmed at everything that had happened, but at the same time, he loved it. He had friends and family now. Genevra had spent the afternoon in the water explaining all about the Naberrie and how Finn was more than welcome to stay with them. Theirs was a wealthy family, she had said in her girlish tones, that would be able to help him reconnect with his parents. Unfortuantely, Finn had been taken at such a young age that he was unable to remember where he was from. He could be from anywhere in the New Republic or the First Order worlds. However, he cared more for the fact that these people wanted to help him. To care for him. 

He had already decided that he was going to do the same for them. 

“So she was Papa Ani’s wife?”

“Yes, she was my wife.”

Finn turned to find Papa Ani standing to his left. He startled a bit, but oddly didn’t feel any fear. The revelation that Papa Ani was Darth Vader still swirled around his head, but at the same time Finn found he couldn’t truly fear the man that had insisted on making amends to him. “She’s beautiful. You must miss her.”

“Yes, I do.” Papa Ani’s eyes were soft. “She would have liked you, I think. She would most certainly have approved of taking you in. She cared about others, to the point that she had made it her career.”

“She sounds awesome,” Finn murmured. He almost asked where she was, but then remembered the story Ben had told him. “I’m sorry she isn’t here.”

“I am too.” Papa Ani looked thoughtful. “She was my first love.”

“First?” Poe inquired, walking over with a glass of brandy. 

“Actually, you will have a chance to meet my second love tonight.”

Ben smiled, happiness shining bright. Finn could even feel it through his new understanding of the Force. “Lady Snips is coming?”

“Told her to rendezvous with us here as soon as you told me where we were going,” Papa Ani answered. His eyes brightened then, and Finn followed his gaze to the doorway of the ornate sitting room. “Ladies! All three of you look ravishing tonight!”

“You flatterer!” Queen Genevra said in her evening gown of shimmersilk and precious jewels. She was again in the makeup of the queen. “Now, doesn’t Rey look exquisite?!”

Finn had to agree with that. She had been pretty before, but in the black and white gown she was beautiful. He happened to glance over at Ben and nearly laughed out loud at the look of utter enchantment on his new brother’s face. He’d already realized that Ben had a thing for Rey – and Finn didn’t blame him in the least – but he was pretty sure that if Ben didn’t watch it Rey would know it too. 

But the third woman wasn’t a human at all. A Togruta female stood dressed in brown robes that highlighted her bronze skin. Her white montrals were striped with blue, and her face was defined by white tattoos winging up and around her eyes. She smiled, white teeth shining out of her face. Bright blue eyes regarded the four men with some humor. “Ben!” she exclaimed as she sailed into the room. 

Poe and Finn shared a look, and the younger man knew that his friend was seeing the same thing he was. This Togruta moved with the predatory air of someone who was trained to fight. He figured that she was probably Force-sensitive – everyone else in Papa Ani’s rag-tag band of misfits seemed to be with the exceptions of Han and Chewie. Ben had mentioned to him during their walk back from the lake that there was a probability that Rey had some Force ability too, hers just might be locked down for some reason. Finn didn’t fully understand it himself, but apparently trauma could lessen Force ability temporarily. Poe also had at least a smidge – Papa Ani had mentioned that his piloting skills were probably somewhat helped by the Force.

The Togruta hugged Ben, and then pointedly ignored Papa Ani as she turned to Poe and Finn. She pointed at Poe first and said, “You must be the hot-shot pilot, and you must be the ex-Stormtrooper.” The silvered fingernail that pointed at Finn made him a little nervous. 

Rey finally came forward and nodded. “Yes. But how do you know Ben?”

“I helped train him,” she said with a fond look at the man in question. 

Ben began to look a bit confused, and then his face smoothed into one of exasperation. “Papa Ani, what did you do?”

“How do you know I did anything?” Papa Ani asked before he turned to the Togruta. “And come now, Snips, where’s my greeting?”

“I do not greet people who leave me on a planet with no explanation.” The look she gave Ani was withering. 

“But you came when I called –“

“So that I could discuss your proclivity for leaving me!” she snapped. “Mustafar –“

“ _For Force sakes, I was Vader at the time!_ ” Papa Ani thundered. Rey and Poe gasped a little bit, but Finn ignored them as Ben tapped their grandfather on the arm. 

“Uh, Papa Ani?”

“What?”

“ _We were on Mustafar before we left for Jakku._ ”

Papa Ani’s thunderous expression fell. Snips the Togruta crossed her arms and gave him an arch look. Rey had covered her mouth in horror, and Poe was biting his lip as if he wanted to laugh. Someone began to clap slowly in the doorway. All eyes when to Han Solo as he applauded Papa Ani. “You can never say anything about the way I handle Leia. Ever.”

“At least Dad remembers where he puts Mom,” came Ben’s unexpected agreement. 

Han strode forward and took a brandy from the tray that had been left for the diners. Chewie followed him in. “Leia just has a bad habit of running off on me.”

“Well, when a woman has a space ship and a mate to chase after,” Snips muttered as she sailed over to the tray. 

Genevra stepped beside Finn and gave him a grin. “You know, when I arranged our dinner party tonight, I didn’t realize it would be dinner and a show,” she whispered. 

The unexpected joke caught him by surprise, and the brandy he’d just sipped nearly went spraying. Poe began to laugh at the look on Finn’s face, and the merriment even caused Snips to smile. Genevra sailed over, and then turned to the assembly. “To give a proper introduction, this is Ahsoka Tano. Lady Ahsoka, Finn Skywalker the former Stormtrooper, Poe Dameron the hot-shot pilot, Han Solo, and Chewbacca.”

“A pleasure to meet all of you,” Lady Ahsoka answered. She looked at Finn again, those blue eyes searing. “Skywalker?”

Ben nodded and put a hand on Finn’s shoulder. It was warm and comforting. “Papa Ani and I adopted him. He’s our ex-Stormtrooper now.”

Lady Ahsoka’s face twitched. “So you decided a pet Stormtrooper would calm me down?”

“No!” Papa Ani snapped, “Why would you think I’d bring you a pet Stormtrooper?”

“I don’t know. It wouldn’t be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you do.”

“Like what?”

“Like that time you came after me instead of completing your mission.“

“I was Vader at the time!”

Ben leaned into Finn and murmured, “He doesn’t even know which time she’s referring to. He falls back onto that excuse whenever he doesn’t fully remember something.”

“Why?” Finn asked with a small frown writ across his face.

“Papa Ani has a tendency towards single-mindedness. Sometimes he simply does not remember what he was doing at any given time,” he replied with a small grin. “Makes for great comedy when he and Lady Ahsoka get into it.”

“Do they do this a lot?”

“Bicker?” he replied. “Yes. They do it almost constantly, like the old married couple they for all intents and purposes are.”

“So,” Rey finally piped up, “Why were you on Mustafar? And why did you leave Ahsoka?”

“Yes,” the lady in question asked snippily, “Why did you leave me?”

Papa Ani gave her a look, the playful banter of a moment ago obviously draining from him. “I had a Force vision. If you had come with us, things would have gone differently.”

“Differently how?” Ben asked, his face creasing into a frown. Finn guessed that Papa Ani had not even consulted him about it.

“Rey would have died.”  
~~  
Everyone froze. Ben felt like even his heart had stopped beating. “Explain.” 

He didn’t see the others give him looks at his authoritative tone. Papa Ani held his eyes. “I saw Ahsoka fighting a Stormtrooper, and Rey laying on the ground bleeding. In the vision I knew she was dead.” To Ben only he said, : _And I knew she would be important. Not just to you. To us all_.:

Ben looked over to Lady Snips. Her face was hard, but not in anger. She nodded. “I just got the message before I landed. Syndulla tells me the First Order has a hit out on me.”

“And the First Order was at Jakku,” Poe added, his dark eyes hard. “There were probably more than one First Order sympathizers at Nima.”

Rey nodded in agreement, setting her brandy down without having taken a sip. Ben didn’t check the need to lay a hand on hers. She looked up at him with a small curl of her lips, wrapping his bigger hand in her own. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Lady Snips’ raised eyebrow, but he didn’t care what anyone thought right now. He could have lost Rey before he’d even gotten the chance to truly know her. 

“Next time,” Lady Snips said in a tight voice, “Tell me. Don’t just run off to play the hero.”

Papa Ani’s laugh was mocking. “I’m no hero.”

“You are to me.”

All eyes turned to Finn, who had not said a word aside from his near catastrophe. He looked resolute, and for the first time, Ben saw him stand with confidence. “You are a hero, Papa Ani. I mean, you’ve done all this just to save Rey, and you didn’t even know her. You’ve decided to adopt me even though you barely knew me just because you wanted to help me. You are a hero, even with being, well, you know –“

“Darth Vader?” Han finally supplied.

Finn glanced over at him, and then a smile split his face. “You know, it’s kinda growing on me. Yeah, the idea that my adoptive grandfather is Darth Vader. I mean, all the homicidal tendencies aside, you are one of the most awesome warriors in the galaxy.”

“He’s not technically Darth Vader anymore,” Genevra pointed out. Chewie trilled an agreement.

“He’s a giant cyborg with enough Force ability to destroy entire squads of soldiers at once,” Han pointed out. “Maybe he doesn’t use a red lightsaber anymore, but you know, that description is pretty much Vader.” He took a sip of his brandy to the surprised looks of his son and father-in-law.

Papa Ani glanced around and then shrugged. “Fine, I’m a hero.”

Lady Snips rolled her eyes. “So I can say it for nearly ten years and you don’t listen, but get a Stormtrooper –“

He could feel it through the Force when Papa Ani decided that he’d had enough. Ben blinked rapidly as Papa Ani pulled Lady Snips into his arms, pulled his respirator away from his mouth, and kissed her into silence. There was a flare of horror from Han, amusement from Poe and Genevra, and shock from Finn. Rey bled joy and had her hands covering her smiling mouth. Ben looked over at his father, and cocked a brow. “You act as if you’ve never seen Papa Ani kiss anyone before.”

Han turned to Ben, and shook his head. “Just the realization that he and I are a little too alike. I’ve used that trick on your mother many a time.”

Ben gave his father a droll look. “I am well aware.”

“Well, your mother does talk a lot.” They looked back to the couple that had taken center stage, just in time to watch Papa Ani replace his mask, and Lady Snips pat his cheek. 

A discrete gong sounded, and they all turned towards the door. Genevra laughed. “Well, now that that’s settled, let us eat! Come, Cousin Han escort me, Poe and Finn you go in together, Papa Ani escort Lady Ahsoka, and Ben escort Rey.” An annoyed roar interrupted her. “Well then, escort me too!” The Queen of Naboo sailed out the door escorted on her right by the elder human man and the Wookie male on her left. 

Ben felt a work-roughened hand take a hold of his arm. He glanced down at the vision in white and black that was smiling up at him. “You look beautiful,” he said to her. 

“Thank you,” she replied while ducking her head with a blush staining her cheeks. “Genevra has been kind to me.”

“She is insufferably nice isn’t she?”

Rey laughed. “Well, I would never think to describe it like that.”

“You haven’t known her for nearly fifteen years. Trust me, you get a bit amazed and then annoyed at how nice she can be.” He smiled. “But she has great taste in clothes.”

“Hey, you guys coming?!” Poe asked from the hall outside the parlor.

Rey called back, “We are!” She pulled on his arm a bit. “Come on!”

He laughed, and the two sashayed out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope we all realize that "for Force sake" is equivalent to "for F***'s sake."


End file.
